Up at my usual 5:30 am this morning. In place of my usual routine, I joined a Microsoft Teams conference at 6:00 (1300 CEST) for the announcement of two network associations from Germany, each promoting Single Pair Ethernet (SPE), have joined forces for joint marketing, PR, and most likely development.
Several of the major fieldbus associations joined forces recently as companies looked at the costs of overlap. This one appears to be a group begun by HARTING, TE Connectivity, HIROSE, Würth Elektronik, Bizlink, MURR Elektronik and Softing called SPE Industrial Partner Network and one headed by Phoenix Contact, Weidmüller, Sick called Single Pair Ethernet System Alliance.
The groups have been working separately for about six years for the development and promotion of SPE technology.
The SPE Industrial Partner Network e.V. and the Single Pair Ethernet System Alliance e.V., consisting of numerous well-known industrial companies, have been committed to the dissemination and further development of SPE since their inception. Until now, they have operated independently with their own members, working groups and areas of focus. With the growing awareness and relevance of SPE in the market, the networks have come closer together since the Hannover Messe 2025 and now plan to coordinate their activities in the future.
The aim is to bring the strengths and combined expertise of both networks even more effectively to bear in the market and to further accelerate the spread of SPE. The first joint activities are already planned for 2025: both networks will be represented with a joint stand at SPS Atlanta 2025 – Smart Production Solutions USA from 16 to 18 September. Both networks will also play a key role in shaping the SPE Forum on 22–23 October in Ludwigsburg, Germany, with coordinated presentations. The year will conclude with a joint exhibition stand at SPS – Smart Production Solutions from 25–27 November 2025 in Nuremberg.
Both networks have been committed to the development of international standards for SPE since the beginning. Together, they support the SPE connector standard IEC 63171-7 and are consistently driving forward its expansion to include a uniform IP20 SPE mating profile. This standard forms a connecting element for the world of automation and creates a uniform basis for future-proof industrial communication. Other existing connector solutions and the associated international standards remain unaffected and continue to be valid for the numerous fields of application of SPE.
A central focus of the collaboration is the further internationalisation of Single Pair Ethernet. The aim is to make the advantages of SPE visible worldwide and to give users around the globe access to a powerful, efficient and future-oriented network technology.
The numerous member companies of both networks are pooling their extensive expertise and innovative strength to create a strong and sustainable SPE ecosystem. This will enable users worldwide to benefit from practical solutions that pave the way for digitalisation.
