Smart machinery projects are becoming increasingly difficult to bring to market. Industrial equipment is no longer expected to simply perform a mechanical task. Today’s systems must also handle connectivity, embedded software, wireless communication, cybersecurity, compliance requirements, remote updates, and long-term reliability, often under tight timelines and changing market conditions.
We spoke with Vadym Dovhopolyi is a Technical Solution Architect at EKTOS about the technical and commercial pressures affecting smart machinery development and why many companies are rethinking how they approach engineering projects.
Q: What has changed most in smart machinery development over the last few years?
Vadym:
The level of complexity has increased across almost every part of the development process. A machine today is no longer just mechanical and automation-focused. It is part of a connected ecosystem, and that changes the engineering requirements significantly.
We see products that now need embedded electronics, firmware, wireless interfaces, cloud connectivity, remote diagnostics, cybersecurity considerations, and compliance readiness from the start. At the same time, companies are dealing with stricter EMC and radio requirements, shorter launch windows, and increasing uncertainty around components and supply chains.
What makes this challenging is that all these areas are connected. A firmware decision can later affect EMC performance. A connectivity feature may introduce radio compliance requirements. A component selection can suddenly become a supply chain issue halfway through development.
Most companies have highly capable internal teams, but maintaining specialist expertise across every one of these disciplines at all times is becoming increasingly difficult.
Q: Where do smart machinery projects typically begin to run into trouble?
Vadym:
Usually much earlier than companies realise.
A lot of risks are introduced in the architecture and design phase, but they only become visible much later when prototypes are tested, products move toward certification, or manufacturing preparation begins.
For example, we often see EMC problems discovered only after a prototype has been built. In other cases, compliance planning starts too late, or a key component suddenly becomes unavailable and forces redesign work. Sometimes firmware functionality affects reliability or certification in ways that were not obvious initially.
The problem is rarely one isolated issue. The challenge is that late changes affect many parts of the project simultaneously. A design adjustment can impact testing, documentation, production readiness, timelines, and even long-term serviceability.
That is why early technical coordination matters so much in smart machinery development.
Q: Many companies successfully build prototypes internally. Why does the transition to production become more difficult?
Vadym:
Because a functional prototype and a market-ready product are two very different things.
A prototype proves that the concept works. A production-ready product must also be manufacturable, testable, certifiable, maintainable, and reliable over many years of operation.
In industrial environments, products are often expected to operate under vibration, temperature variation, humidity, electrical noise, or other demanding conditions. At the same time, they need to meet EMC requirements, pass radio testing, maintain cybersecurity compliance, and remain supportable long after launch.
Those requirements influence hardware design, firmware architecture, test strategy, documentation, manufacturing preparation, and component planning much earlier than many teams expect.
If these discussions happen too late, companies often end up redesigning systems that were already considered finished.
Q: How should companies think about external engineering support?
Vadym:
The best collaborations happen when external expertise complements the internal team rather than replacing it.
Internal engineering teams usually understand the machine, the application, and the customer requirements extremely well. External specialists contribute focused experience in areas such as EMC, wireless communication, accredited testing, rugged electronics, production strategy, and compliance processes.
When that specialist input is introduced early enough, companies can make stronger decisions around architecture, manufacturability, lifecycle planning, and risk reduction before major design choices become difficult to change.
In practice, that often means fewer redesigns, fewer testing surprises, and more predictable launch timelines.
Q: Why are technical exhibitions and industry events still important for engineering teams?
Vadym:
Because many important technical discussions happen before projects are fully locked down.
At events like Elektronikmessen, Digital Tech Summit, and the likes, companies are often exploring questions around compliance strategy, scalability, production readiness, supply chain risk, or testing requirements. These are conversations that are much easier to address early than after a product has already entered later development stages.
The value is not only in seeing technology. It is in discussing real engineering challenges with people who have worked through similar situations across different industries and projects.
For many companies, those early conversations help clarify risks and opportunities that may not yet be visible internally.
What is the biggest misconception companies still have about smart machinery development?
Vadym:
Probably that development is mainly about getting the product to work technically.
Today, success is also about how efficiently the product can move through compliance, testing, manufacturing, and long-term lifecycle management. Products must not only function but also remain manufacturable, supportable, and adaptable over time.
That requires broader coordination across electronics, firmware, compliance, manufacturing, and reliability much earlier in the process than many development models were originally built for.
Vadym Dovhopolyi is a Technical Solution Architect at EKTOS, specializing in smart machinery, industrial electronics, and safety-critical control systems. Together with the EKTOS team, he helps OEMs develop reliable, certifiable, and production-ready solutions across hardware, firmware, software, and system architecture. With strong functional and technical safety expertise, they bring a practical, standards-driven approach to developing market-ready intelligent machinery.
