Press & News

The primary task of PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) is to develop and maintain specifications for industrial communication and automation technology, to perform testing and certification, and to create guidelines. PI pursued these tasks consistently in 2024, with a total of 24 specifications and guidelines for PI technologies being published. In addition, six test specifications and 11 test tools/bundles were provided for quality assurance. This is a clear signal of a year of innovation and intensive cooperation.

The documents contain both specific technical developments, such as enhancements to the security specification for PROFINET and the safety specification for IO-Link, as well as necessary adjustments and maintenance activities. A significant factor for success is quality and interoperability, both in the depth and scope of the specifications themselves and in the associated test specifications and test tools. This is supplemented with easy-to-read, technically sound descriptions and supplements in the guidelines. The PI community continues to invest considerable resources in these areas to ensure a stable, reliable foundation for industrial applications. 

These further developments are a clear indication of living, future-proof standards which adapt to new customer, market and regulatory requirements and technological progress. These innovations make an important contribution to the digital transformation of automation technology, helping to overcome current challenges in the industrial environment.

This year, the PI community will continue to work intensively this year on new technological developments in its tried and tested way of which the active community is gaining a shared understanding. It’s precisely this cooperation—the open exchange and diversity of ideas and experiences of the many companies involved—which creates the basis for further innovation. In light of the industry demand for powerful and interoperable solutions, PI has an optimistic view of the future.