Reflections from Productronica 2025
– A Clear Signal on Test Data Priorities
Productronica was a Positive Pulse in a Challenging Year
2025 has been a challenging year for electronics manufacturing. Many companies have faced supply chain shifts, cost pressures, and uncertainty in the market. That’s why Productronica 2025 felt like a breath of fresh air.
The event didn’t just bring the industry together, it sent a strong signal that, despite challenges, electronics manufacturing is moving forward. Based on the official numbers from the trade show, there’s reason for optimism.
- More than 47,000 visitors from almost 100 countries attended
- The number of exhibitors increased by 20 % to 1,600
- 95 % of visitors said the event met their expectations for innovation
These numbers from the official Productronica report make one thing clear: the industry is very much alive.
From Industry Signals to Real Conversations at the WATS Stand
At the WATS stand we definitely felt the same optimism and drive. During the week we had a lot of meaningful conversations, and had the pleasure of talking to both potential and existing customers.
Besides great conversations and very positive feedback on WATS we picked up some very clear trends from our visitors.
Test Data Management is no longer a backroom topic
Visitors came with a purpose to our stand. Many are struggling with the same issue: either their test data isn’t being used, or they’re relying on aging in-house systems that are hard to maintain and scale.
WATS stood out as a solution that’s purpose-built for electronics manufacturing. Our visitors really enjoyed that the solution offers real-time access to their data, contextual analysis, and a clean, intuitive interface.
The hesitation around cloud is fading
We saw more companies than ever re-engaging with us, this time, backed by their IT teams. The previous hesitation around cloud seems to be fading and off-the-shelf solutions are seen as an alternative to in-house build solutions. Teams are looking for solutions they can deploy quickly, scale easily, and rely on across factories and suppliers.
The AI buzz was almost silent
Despite that AI still dominates tech headlines, AI barely came up, not from our visitors, and not across the show floor. What people really wanted was practical, usable insight today.
When demonstrating WATS we showed how users can do root cause analysis in a few clicks with our built-in AI-suggestions. However the focus, from both their and ours, was on the outcome: how does this help me work smarter with my test data.
That tells us something important: this industry values results over rhetoric.
What Productronica 2025 Confirmed for Us
We've been working with test data and WATS for more than two decades and the challenges companies and test engineers struggle with, remain the same:
- Manufacturers are still stuck with limited, fragile DIY in-house solutions
- Test Data is still not being used to improve in many companies
- Teams want to consolidate, simplify, and gain real control of their test data
In Summary
The industry is signaling confidence despite global uncertainty with strong attendance at Productronica this year and shows a clear interest in innovation.
For Test Engineers, QA teams, and R&D, now is the time to gain control of test data and move beyond spreadsheets and silos.
For senior leadership, the case is clear: unlock faster time-to-market, improve quality, and reduce costs with a purpose-built solution for test data management.
WATS is ready to support that shift. Whether you're starting your test data journey or scaling across multiple sites, we’re here to help make your test data buzz.
