ABB’s Machine Automation division, B&R, has appointed Christian Strahberger as its new Division President, marking a new leadership phase for one of the company’s key machine automation businesses. The appointment was announced in September 2026 and comes as manufacturers continue to demand higher productivity, flexibility, and digitalization.

Strahberger brings approximately 25 years of leadership experience across mechanical engineering, drive technology, motion control, and power electronics. Before joining B&R, he held several international leadership positions at Danfoss and most recently served as Chief Technology Officer and Head of Semiconductor Manufacturing at Semikron Danfoss.

His technical background is particularly relevant to the current development of industrial automation. Modern machine automation increasingly combines PLC technology, motion control, industrial Ethernet, servo drives, robotics, machine vision, sensors, and software into integrated production systems.

B&R is widely associated with machine automation solutions used in discrete manufacturing and high-performance production environments. These systems are designed to coordinate machine control, motion, visualization, safety, and communication within a unified automation architecture.

According to ABB, Strahberger will focus on innovation that helps customers improve productivity and competitiveness while operating more sustainably. This direction reflects several major trends currently influencing the automation industry.

One important trend is the growing integration between PLC control and advanced motion systems. Modern machines often require high-speed synchronization between multiple servo axes, robots, sensors, and production stations. Industrial Ethernet and real-time communication technologies are making it easier to coordinate these devices while maintaining accurate and reliable machine control.

Another major development is the increasing use of software and data in industrial automation. Manufacturers are looking beyond traditional PLC programming and are investing in predictive maintenance, production analytics, digital twins, edge computing, and industrial AI. These technologies can help engineers identify equipment problems before they cause production downtime.

Energy efficiency is also becoming increasingly important. Combining intelligent machine control with efficient motors, drives, and power electronics can help manufacturers reduce energy consumption while maintaining production performance.

Strahberger’s experience in semiconductor manufacturing and power electronics could therefore be relevant to the broader evolution of machine automation. As factories become more connected and automated, control systems need to combine performance, connectivity, safety, and energy efficiency.

The leadership change at ABB B&R comes at a time when industrial manufacturers are looking for more flexible automation architectures. For PLC engineers, system integrators, machine builders, and automation distributors, the development highlights the continuing evolution of machine automation from traditional control systems toward integrated digital production platforms.