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Rockwell Automation introduces FactoryTalk Conductor, an AI orchestration platform for industrial automation. Oct 21, 2026, 07:00 ET The new software connects AI agents, skills, and workflows throughout the automation lifecycle. MILWAUKEE, October 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, introduces FactoryTalk(R) Conductor(TM), a new AI orchestration platform designed to orchestrate work throughout the industrial automation lifecycle, creating a foundation for AI-optimized workflows from system design to operation and maintenance. The software will make its public debut at Automation Fair(R) 2026 in Boston, where attendees can experience it before its planned commercial release in the first quarter of 2027. According to Rockwell Automation's 2026 State of Smart Manufacturing report, one third of production operations are already augmented by AI, and adoption is expected to accelerate further in the coming years. Manufacturers moving from AI experimentation to broader deployments need practical solutions to connect technologies, workflows, and expertise. FactoryTalk Conductor addresses this need with a single platform that integrates AI across engineering environments. "In the next industrial phase of AI, it will be more about orchestration than individual copilots," said Craig Resnick, vice president, ARC Advisory Group. "Manufacturers need AI technologies capable of coordinating tasks across software systems, engineering tools, and operational data. FactoryTalk Conductor reflects the industry's shift toward agentic automation by bringing AI agents, workflows, and industrial expertise together in a unified environment." FactoryTalk Conductor enables users to initiate engineering tasks using natural language. The solution intelligently connects the software, AI capabilities, and workflows needed to complete them. At launch, the platform will be integrated with Studio 5000 Logix Designer(R), Logix Echo(TM), Emulate3D(R), and FactoryTalk(R) Optix(TM), covering key design, development, simulation, and testing workflows. Rockwell Automation then plans to integrate it with other software in its portfolio, including FactoryTalk(R) Design Studio(TM), FactoryTalk(R) Historian, Plex(R), and Fiix(R), to extend AI-driven workflows across the entire industrial automation lifecycle. "FactoryTalk Conductor is a unique platform because it combines AI orchestration with recognized industrial expertise," said Matheus Bulho, senior vice president, Software & Control, at Rockwell Automation. "Customers can rely on agents and skills verified by Rockwell Automation, create capabilities tailored to their business, and connect AI to all their software, data, and services. This creates a scalable foundation to accelerate engineering work while meeting the standards required in industrial environments." Key benefits: * Meet enterprise AI and governance requirements by enabling them to use AI services hosted in FactoryTalk Hub or connect small or large language models of their choice, including locally hosted open-weight models, which can reduce ongoing token consumption costs. * Accelerate engineering workflows across the automation lifecycle by coordinating activities across design, development, testing, and validation environments. * Reduce complexity across software applications through AI-driven workflows spanning Studio 5000 Logix Designer, Logix Echo, Emulate3D, FactoryTalk Optix, and other Rockwell Automation solutions. * Apply AI with greater confidence and reliability through integrations developed by Rockwell Automation that connect software, data, and services across industrial operations. * Extend trusted automation expertise through agents and skills verified by Rockwell Automation, helping teams accelerate their work with capabilities purpose-built for industrial applications. Manufacturers attending Automation Fair 2026 can see FactoryTalk Conductor demonstrations in several exhibition areas (including Technology & Services Showcase, Industry Pavilion, and Innovations) and during dedicated technical sessions. Additional information about FactoryTalk Conductor and Automation Fair is available at www.rockwellautomation.com. Frequently asked questions What is FactoryTalk Conductor? FactoryTalk Conductor is an AI-based orchestration platform that connects AI agents, skills, workflows, and automation software to help engineers accelerate system design, development, and testing activities through natural language interactions and recognized industrial expertise. How is FactoryTalk Conductor different from an AI copilot? While traditional AI copilots assist users with individual tasks, FactoryTalk Conductor orchestrates collaboration among multiple AI agents, workflows, and software tools across engineering processes. This makes it possible to automate more complex, multi-step activities managed by different applications, data sources, and teams. When will FactoryTalk Conductor be available? FactoryTalk Conductor will be previewed at Automation Fair 2026 in Boston and is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2027. Which Rockwell Automation products does FactoryTalk Conductor work with? FactoryTalk Conductor is designed to work with a growing number of Rockwell Automation software products. At launch, it will support Studio 5000 Logix Designer(R), Logix Echo(TM), Emulate3D(R), and FactoryTalk(R) Optix(TM), with FactoryTalk(R) Design Studio(TM), FactoryTalk(R) Historian, Plex(R), Fiix(R), and other solutions to be added later. Can customers create and deploy their own AI agents and skills? Yes. In addition to agents and skills verified by Rockwell Automation, customers can create and deploy their own agents and skills to meet their company standards, address industry requirements, and implement specific engineering workflows. About Rockwell Automation Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK) is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imagination of our people with the potential of technology to expand what is possible and create a more productive and sustainable world. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs nearly 26,000 people serving customers in more than 100 countries. To learn how we bring The Connected Enterprise(R) to life in industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.

Braskem rolls out Rockwell SecureOT across 39 sites. Wed, 21st Oct 2026 (Today) Braskem is deploying Rockwell Automation's SecureOT Platform across its industrial operations, covering more than 39 facilities. The chemical producer is adopting the operational technology security platform to improve visibility across a large and varied estate of industrial systems. The roll-out gives Braskem a consolidated real-time view of OT assets to support risk management and decision-making. Cybersecurity has become a more pressing issue for manufacturers as production sites connect more systems and combine information technology with plant-floor operations. In that environment, knowing which devices are connected to industrial networks and where vulnerabilities lie has become a basic requirement for security teams and plant managers. Braskem operates industrial sites across Brazil, the United States, Mexico and Germany, with products sold in more than 70 countries. Its operations include a mix of technologies and equipment vendors, a common feature in large manufacturing groups that can complicate efforts to maintain a current inventory of connected assets. Within the first eight months of the project, the platform was deployed across more than 39 industrial facilities worldwide. During that time, Braskem mapped and catalogued more than 3,000 assets, completed all project preparation work and reached 95% infrastructure readiness. Braskem said the project has improved how its teams manage operational risk. It added that the system helps maintain an up-to-date inventory across OT environments, supports the prioritisation of vulnerability remediation and improves its ability to demonstrate compliance during audits. Asset visibility Operational technology, or OT, refers to the hardware and software used to monitor and control industrial equipment, networks and processes. Unlike traditional office IT systems, OT environments often include legacy machines, specialist control systems and equipment from multiple suppliers, which can make visibility and patching harder to manage. That issue is central to Braskem's security programme, according to Arron Nelson, Industrial Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Specialist at Braskem. "One of the biggest challenges in OT cybersecurity is knowing exactly what is connected to your environment and understanding where your risks exist," Nelson said. "As cyber threats continue to evolve, including those leveraging AI, organisations need better visibility to make informed decisions. SecureOT gives us a stronger understanding of our OT assets and helps us take a more proactive approach to securing critical operations." Rockwell said the platform is vendor-neutral, meaning it is designed to work across mixed industrial environments rather than requiring a single equipment supplier. That matters for companies such as Braskem, where sites have been built, expanded and updated over time with systems from different manufacturers. Broader pressure The wider manufacturing sector has been under pressure to improve cyber defences as industrial organisations digitise operations and connect a growing number of production assets to wider networks. The convergence of IT and OT has increased the amount of data available to operators, but it has also widened the potential attack surface. Rockwell cited its own manufacturing research showing cybersecurity as one of the leading external risks facing the sector. For plant operators, the challenge is not only to stop intrusions but also to understand which systems are in place, which are exposed and which should be addressed first. Rick Kaun, Global Director, Cybersecurity Services at Rockwell Automation, said the need for visibility is driving demand for tools that automate asset discovery and provide context around vulnerabilities. "Today's industrial operators can't protect what they can't see," Kaun said. "Organisations like Braskem are turning to SecureOT Platform for an asset-centric, contextual inventory that helps them move away from inaccurate, ill-fitting or manual approaches to OT asset inventory and toward automated visibility. By integrating asset visibility, vulnerability management and managed detection services into one vendor-neutral framework, we help organisations contextualise, prioritise and reduce risk, maintain uptime and build sustainable, resilient operations." Braskem employs almost 8,000 people and has 39 industrial units, while Rockwell has about 26,000 employees serving customers in more than 100 countries. The scale of the deployment means Braskem's OT security programme now spans much of its industrial footprint, with more than 3,000 assets already mapped and catalogued.