100 Years of Innovation: Festo’s Incredible Machine Impels Seamless Connectivity

In a world of competitive marketing, the challenge to bring awareness to a century-old brand can be daunting. For Festo’s 100th anniversary, telling the story of its backbone—movement of automation technology—and showcasing a century worth of brain science achievements was creatively summed up in its showstopper “Incredible Machine.”

Unveiled at the Festo booth at Hannover Messe 2025, visitors could finally scrutinize the invention of 12 modules running the length of 14 meters and described during the run-up to the show only as “pneumatic, electric, digital and uses a small impulse for a world in motion.”

The 46ft machine is set in motion by a bionic eMotionButterfly that triggers a chain of motion functions. The display is based on the principle of Rube Goldberg (whose cartoons often depicted devices that performed simple tasks in indirect convoluted ways).

Although it showcases more than 1,000 Festo products, ranging from battery production for electric cars, laboratory automation in the life sciences, to intralogistics and the semiconductor industry, the contraption does not produce a specific product. Instead, it relays the story of the movement in automation technology that has had a significant influence on the family-owned company.

“The machine demonstrates Festo’s diverse competencies and comprehensive expertise in automation technology, because inventiveness has been part of the company’s DNA from the very beginning,” explained Thomas Böck, CEO of Festo.

The Festo Incredible Machine — Festo’s Incredible Machine is a 46 ft contraption that is set in motion by a bionic eMotionButterfly. Showcasing more than 1,000 Festo products, it highlights the movement in automation technology developed by the company over the course of 100 years.

Building a Pathway for Future Automation

Festo has a reputation for being at the forefront in research and development. The company, which supplies pneumatic and electrical automation technology to 300,000 factory and process automation customers in more than 35 industries, invests about 8% of its turnover in R&D and has amassed more than 2,600 patents worldwide.

Festo comes up with 100 new products ready for patenting each year, Böck said via a translator at a Hannover Messe press conference. Festo reported a turnover of around €3.45 billion in 2024.

Dr. Ansgar Kriwet, member of the Management Board, R&D, Festo, demonstrates some of the technologies in the Festo Incredible Machine.

Böck further outlined market trends in his remarks to the press. He said that the uncertainty in global economy and market dynamics added to customers’ hesitancy to invest more in machinery and industrial plants across nearly all sectors and parts of the world, with Asia and Europe being particularly affected.

Festo noted that the electronics industry did not show the expected turnaround in 2024. The USA, South America and India developed positively, as did Festo’s technical education sector with the Didactic division.

Markets Speak: What Happens When Uncertainty Curbs Investments

For Dr. Wilm Uhlenbecker, Festo’s North America Business Region CEO, participation at the German trade fair held special resonance this year. He stepped into the CEO role on April 1, following the retirement of Carlos Miranda. And in addition to Canada being this year’s partner country at Hannover Messe, Festo Canada was marking its 50th anniversary.

Asked about trends and market exposure amidst global economic and political impact, Uhlenbecker said that Festo is strategizing to improve its position in the U.S. market by diversifying into different industry segments and channels.

“In terms of the markets, we have to distinguish in North America between the Canada markets, U.S. markets and Mexican markets,” said Uhlenbecker. “They’re actually fairly different. For example, in Canada we are the market leader in pneumatics, but we are focusing heavily now on also the electric automation in order to move up the business, move up our market share and therefore also become a well-known supplier for that kind of technology.”

Uhlenbecker said Festo’s Mexican market is “in a very good position in relation to the U.S.” but that there remains latitude for driving up market share: “How do we want to do that? We are working, of course, on the pneumatic side, but also there we introduce electric automation much more now.”

Another tactic, Uhlenbecker said, is that Festo aims to foster seamless automation, or seamless connectivity, which entails providing end-to-end solutions, from mechanical, motor and servo drive systems to modern communication and control systems.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulating Festo — During a tour at Hannover Messe 2025, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Festo on its 100-year success story, symbolized by the “Festo Incredible Machine” at the Festo booth. Accompanying the Federal Chancellor on the tour were Stéphane Dion, special envoy of the partner country Canada to the European Union, and Stephan Weil, prime minister of Lower Saxony.

In addition, he added, in the U.S. Festo approaches different channels. “We have different growth areas in different industry segments,” Uhlenbecker said. “The beauty is, we are very diversified. So, even if one segment—for example, automotive—is not doing well right now, we have other areas where we are striving and we are winning market share."

For Uhlenbecker, the question remains how tariff discussions will play out. “I guess no one knows,” he said. “Your guess is as good as mine, but it creates a certain uncertainty in the market, which we have to deal with, as obviously do our customers. For us it’s important to stay flexible, to stay agile and also to be more local.”