The top Control Engineering articles for December covered topics like the 2026 System Integrators of the Year, the State of Automation report and making digital transformation real.
December was a big month for the automation and controls community, with readers gravitating toward stories that highlighted industry leadership, practical guidance and the realities shaping modern manufacturing. From the 2026 System Integrator of the Year winners and new insights from the State of Industrial Automation research to hands-on advice about control software engineering, digital transformation and OT cybersecurity, these articles captured where the industry is and where it’s headed. Here’s a look at the top 10 most-read Control Engineering stories from December.
1. System Integrator of the Year, 2026
Omnicon (under $20 million), Vertech ($20 million to $40 million), and Thermo Systems (over $40 million) received recognition from Control Engineering and Plant Engineering in this 19th annual award.
2. 2026 System Integrator of the Year: Mission-critical power, data center
Thermo Systems wins in the over $40 million in system integration revenue category, aims to drive customer success through reliability.
3. 2026 System Integrator of the Year: Chocolate, oil and gas automation
Omnicon is the winner in the under $20 million in system integration revenue category.
4. State of Automation 2025 research: Year-end insights, guidance
The Control Engineering survey and report, State of Industrial Automation 2025, created opportunities for additional coverage during the year on automation, controls and instrumentation, supporting the survey results and trends revealed in the report. Think again about what you think you know about automation.
5. Ctrl+Alt+Mfg: Ep. 4: Making Digital Transformation Real With Alicia Lomas, Lomas Manufacturing
Systems leader Alicia Lomas explains how to turn “digital transformation” from a buzzword into measurable wins by starting with real problems, adding context to data and pairing software talent with controls expertise.
6. Introduction to control software engineering, better automation designs
Control software engineers seek control system solutions well beyond computer software programming. Understand seven critical phases of software engineering workflow for control system design and its worst enemy.
7. Why zero trust fails on the plant floor — and what actually works in OT
IT-driven zero-trust frameworks break down in decentralized, high-pressure manufacturing environments. Here’s how to build security strategies that fit the realities of industrial operations.
8. Scaling OT cybersecurity to meet modern manufacturing challenges
Rockwell Automation unveils the SecureOT solution suite, combining tools and managed services for end-to-end protection.
9. New facility strengthens manufacturing education and research
Arizona State University’s new ISTB 12 building supports training, research and industry collaboration in advanced manufacturing.
10. Latest automation mergers, October 2025: robotics, industrial interoperability
The Bundy Group reported 32 automation transactions in its October 2025 summary reports. Analysis on the acquisitions and reports are highlighted below including transactions involving ABB Robotics, Caterpillar, Object Management Group and others.
Check out the top articles from November here.
