Rockwell Automation Opens Bologna Customer Experience Center to Accelerate Industrial Innovation Across Europe, Middle East and Africa

New flagship facility empowers machine builders and manufacturers to overcome technology, workforce and supply chain challenges identified in latest global OEM research.

MILAN, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced the opening of its Bologna Customer Experience Center, a state-of-the-art experience hub designed to help machine builders and end users across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) address the most pressing challenges facing the industry.

Clients tour Rockwell Automation's new Bologna Customer Experience Center, exploring how modern manufacturing comes together in practice through integrated control, motion, software and data working as one system. Shown here: independent cart technology in action — part of a hands-on environment where teams can test ideas, validate solutions in real-world scenarios and de-risk decisions before scaling. Built as an innovation and collaboration hub, the center is designed for co-creation.

The new customer experience center, which will support a wide variety of industrial segments including packaging, material handling, process converting and heavy industries, is Rockwell Automation's flagship EMEA facility - joining its popular centers in Milwaukee and Singapore.

The Bologna center is designed to deliver hands-on experiences core solutions ranging from control, motion and mechatronics to advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, independent cart technology and dynamic digital twins. The center also offers digital strategy planning, specialized training and collaborative innovation, empowering machine builders and end users to accelerate their digital transformation.

"Manufacturers across EMEA are facing a perfect storm of technology, workforce and supply chain challenges," said Paolo Butti, regional president, global industry accounts, Rockwell Automation. "The Bologna Customer Experience Center is our answer to these challenges - a place where OEMs can access the latest innovations, validate solutions in real-world scenarios, and empower their teams for the future. This center will help our customers turn disruption into competitive advantages."

Addressing OEM Challenges: Insights from the Global OEM Research

The opening of the Bologna center comes at a critical time for machine builders. According to new Rockwell Automation research, manufacturers are navigating unprecedented challenges:

Technology adoption gaps: 29% of OEMs globally cite lack of appropriate technology as a barrier to achieving strategic goals.
Workforce instability: High employee turnover and skills shortages rank among the top five global challenges for OEMs, with significant numbers across EMEA reporting workforce challenges.
Downtime costs: Globally, unplanned downtime averages $92,000 per hour, with top-performing OEMs recovering 40% faster by leveraging advanced automation and digital solutions.

Bologna Customer Experience Center: Turning Insight into Action

Rockwell's center in Bologna helps address these industry pain points, offering three distinct areas for customer engagement:

Leadership Area: Features remote access capabilities and live connections to manufacturing plants, enabling executive-level collaboration and strategic planning.
Technology & Proof of Concept Area: Provides hands-on demos and machine testing, allowing OEMs and end users to validate solutions before full-scale deployment. Customers can explore digital twins, virtual autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and advanced mechatronics - accelerating innovation and reducing risk.
Competency Area: Delivers technical training, product updates, and workforce development programs, supporting customers in upskilling teams and closing the talent gap.

The center offers an immersive collaborative environment where manufacturers can overcome technology challenges and build workforce resilience. To learn more about the Bologna Customer Experience Center, visit our web site.

The new OEM research is based on unique insights from 500 global OEM leaders on the technologies, challenges and strategies that will define the next era of industrial performance. Additional findings from the research available in a new OEM Advantage Playbook can be downloaded here.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries as of fiscal year end 2025. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise^® to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.

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