Aras, a leading provider of digital thread solutions for product lifecycle management (PLM) and engineering AI, announced it will feature its AI-powered Variant BOM Agent in the Microsoft booth at Hannover Messe 2026. The joint demonstration with SICK, one of the world’s leading solutions providers for sensor-based applications in the industrial sector, will show how generative and agentic AI complement human judgment to manage complex product structures and boost industrial efficiency.
The Variant BOM Agent is built on Aras InnovatorEdge AI, a governed, enterprise-grade AI services layer that allows manufacturers to design, deploy, and manage agentic workflows across their digital thread. Powered by Microsoft Foundry, it provides a scalable foundation for applying generative and agentic AI in complex engineering environments, turning fragmented data into an AI-native product backbone.
The Variant BOM Agent ingests existing BOMs, identifies modular components, and proposes standardized variants optimized for reuse across product families and markets. Engineers can interact with the system using natural language, inspect AI-generated dependency rules, and iteratively refine variant structures. This enables configure-to-order personalization without disrupting existing PLM or ERP systems.
Additional agents featured in the demonstration further highlight the extensibility of InnovatorEdge AI, enabling customers, partners, and third parties to build and deploy new agents on the same infrastructure.
“As product variety grows, so does the complexity and cost of variant management,” said Marcellus Menges, Vice President Global R&D, SICK AG. “Aras’ AI-powered solution helps us analyze dependencies, identify conflicts earlier, and create visibility across configurations. It allows us to process large volumes of data faster and make more confident decisions—reducing risk, accelerating time to market, and strengthening our competitiveness.”
“What we’re demonstrating at Hannover Messe is a practical, real-world application of AI across the digital thread,” said Rob McAveney, CTO of Aras. “By combining InnovatorEdge AI with Microsoft Foundry, backed by Azure, manufacturers can move beyond isolated AI experiments to scalable transformation—accelerating innovation, reducing lifecycle costs, and delivering higher-quality product variants.”
Hannover Messe 2026 takes place April 20–24, 2026 in Hannover, Germany. With approximately 3,500 exhibitors and more than 120,000 expected visitors, it is the world’s leading trade fair for industrial transformation. Aras will participate in the “Redefine Product Lifecycle Intelligence Neighborhood,” located in Hall 17, Booth G06.
