Festo, an independent family-owned company specializing in industrial automation and technical education, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025.
The milestone will be commemorated throughout the year with global events involving employees, customers, and partners. As part of the celebrations, Festo will highlight its legacy and future vision at Hannover Messe 2025, alongside a series of Innovation Days focused on emerging trends and technologies.
Celebrating a Century of Innovation and Responsibility
Festo’s rich history and century-long commitments to innovation, efficiency, and responsibility has influenced modern industrial production and continues to drive advancements in automation and workforce development.
Founded in 1925 originally as Fezer & Stoll, a manufacturer of woodworking machines, Festo evolved under the leadership of Gottlieb Stoll. The company pioneered the incorporation of pneumatics into factory automation in the 1950s, laying the foundation for its role as a key innovator in industrial automation technologies.
Throughout its history, international expansion has played a central role in Festo’s development. In the 1970s and 1980s, the company established a series of worldwide subsidiaries, strengthening its automation market presence. In 2000, Festo restructured its business by separating its power tools division, which became known as Festool GmbH, allowing the company to focus on automation and education.
Advancing Workforce Development Through Technical Education
As a business, Festo has long recognized that continuous technical education is essential for innovation. In 1965, the company established Festo Didactic, an independent division dedicated to workforce training and competency development. Today, Festo Didactic provides digital and hands-on training solutions, equipping individuals with the skills needed for modern automation technologies.
Planned Centenary Celebrations and Industry Engagement
As part of its 100-year anniversary celebrations, Festo will host a series of worldwide events to engage employees, customers, and future generations. Activities will include:
- Employee appreciation events across Festo’s more than 60 subsidiaries
- Educational initiatives for students and young professionals
- Customer and industry events, including special presentations at Hannover Messe 2025
Noted Thomas Böck, Member of the Management Board, Festo: “In 2025, we want to say thank you to our customers, partners, and employees and celebrate this unforgettable anniversary with them. Anniversary activities will take place throughout the year, both in Germany and in the more than 60 Festo companies worldwide – with “thank you” parties for employees, school days for the young talents of tomorrow, customer events, and press events.”
For representatives of the press and visitors who are enthusiastic about technology, the world’s leading industrial fair, the Hannover Messe, will have a special highlight in store. “The project is still top secret. What we can say is that it showcases our wide range of skills, our broad expertise, our passion for innovation, and our aspiration to make the impossible possible”, Böck notes.
Innovation and Sustainability for the Future
Festo’s anniversary year will also serve as a catalyst for future innovation. The company is launching Innovation Days, a new platform to share future trends, technologies, and innovations on digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI), biologization, and the circular economy—all key factors shaping the future of automation and industrial transformation —with its customers and partners.
“In our anniversary year, we are very much looking to the future since we see it as our responsibility to use our innovations in automation and technical education to help solve the most pressing challenges facing industry and society, and to play a key role in driving industrial transformation as a solution provider,” says Böck. “In the future, topics such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, biologization, and the circular economy will give automation a new boost and, in addition, inspire future generations. Festo will be making a considerable contribution to moving these developments forward.”
Additionally, the company is expanding its Corporate Citizenship Program, reinforcing its continued commitment to social responsibility and sustainable development. As part of this initiative, all 20,000 Festo employees worldwide will be encouraged to participate in volunteer projects supporting their local communities.
“Our Corporate Citizenship Program underscores our belief that companies should not only pursue economic goals, but also play a significant part in society,” says Thomas Böck. “As part of the program, all 20,000 employees worldwide can spend one day working on a charitable initiative. This anniversary is not only a cause for celebration, but also a reminder of what is possible with solidarity, trust, passion, quality, and innovation. Together, we look ahead with confidence to a promising future.”
About Festo
Festo is a global player and an independent family-owned company with headquarters in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany. Festo has set standards in industrial automation technology and technical education ever since its establishment, thereby making a contribution to sustainable development of the environment, the economy and society. The company supplies pneumatic and electrical automation technology to 300,000 customers of factory and process automation in over 35 industries. Digitalization, AI and the LifeTech sector with medical technology and laboratory automation are becoming increasingly important. The products and services are available in 176 countries. With about 20,600 employees in over 250 branch offices in around 60 countries worldwide, Festo achieved a turnover of around €3.65 billion in 2023. Each year around 7% of this turnover is invested in research and development. In this learning company, 1.5 % of turnover is invested in basic and further training. Festo Didactic SE is a leading provider of technical education and training and offers its customers worldwide comprehensive digital and physical learning solutions in the industrial environment.
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Source/Photo Credit/Copyright: Festo SE & Co. KG
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