"When engineers can focus on finding solutions"

It's official: B&R has released its new coding environment – Automation Studio Code. Drawing from the latest the software industry has to offer, it promises an all-new engineering experience that accelerates machine development and enhances collaboration. In addition to advanced editing and modern development workflows, it also features a powerful AI coding assistant, Automation Studio Copilot. Learn more about how these standout additions to B&R's flagship automation software will impact machine builders and system integrators in this interview with B&R software experts Sridharan Rangarajan and Mánuel Sanchez.

Sridharan Rangarajan:

Today's most competitive machines are defined by their software. The challenge for machine builders and integrators is how to develop increasingly complex software solutions, while dealing with faster cycles, shrinking margins and a shortage of skilled engineers. It is absolutely crucial that automation software tools keep pace with these changes.

We heard the same feedback over and over: 'Too many manual steps and unnecessary clicks and workarounds to get things done', and 'collaborating across teams is harder than it should be'. So we looked at what modern software engineers take for granted ¬–intelligent coding tools, efficient development workflows like integrated version control, AI-assisted development, and many others – and asked: why can't automation engineers have the same advantages?

Manuel Sánchez:

Engineers are naturally skeptical of changes that appear purely superficial. If a new UI doesn’t clearly improve their workflow, they’ll resist it. That’s why Automation Studio Code focuses on making their work easier and more efficient. The biggest shift is how much faster and smoother everyday development becomes.

• Real-time error detection means you catch issues as you type, without waiting for a full build to tell you something’s broken.
• Refactoring is no longer a manual, error-prone task – you can update variables or logic across your project in just a few clicks.
• And for those working in large, complex files, mini-map navigation and syntax highlighting make everything easier to read and navigate.

This isn’t just a new interface—it’s a smarter, more efficient way to work. We built it by listening to what slows engineers down and removing those roadblocks. The result? A smoother workflow and great feedback from the teams already using it.

Sridharan Rangarajan:

Here's the difference: this AI actually understands machine automation. If you ask ChatGPT to write Structured Text, it'll give you something generic. But Automation Studio Copilot is trained on B&R-specific knowledge – our libraries, our best practices.

That means it can do things like explain a piece of code in context, suggest realistic optimizations, or even generate new functions based on a simple natural-language prompt. It's not replacing engineers, but it removes a lot of the grunt work, so you spend more time solving actual automation challenges instead of typing boilerplate code.

Manuel Sánchez:

We knew that if we told engineers, "Here's a new tool, now migrate everything," they'd slam the door on us. So we made sure Automation Studio Code works side-by-side with the existing Automation Studio 6 environment. There's no migration. No rework. You just open the same project in either interface, depending on what works best for you.

If you want to dip your toes in, start by using Automation Studio Code for just one part of your workflow—maybe debugging or AI-assisted coding. You don't have to go all in right away.

Manuel Sánchez:

Absolutely. We’re already seeing how much easier and faster things get when engineers have access to smarter tools. In a few years, the idea of manually digging through every bug or sending project files back and forth will probably feel as outdated as using a fax machine. The industry is increasingly eager to embrace the latest software-development tools because they lower the barrier to entry and significantly enhance efficiency. Controls engineers are naturally curious and solution-oriented, so when new tools help them reach solutions faster, they will enthusiastically adopt them and weave them into their everyday toolkit.

Sridharan Rangarajan:

Honestly? You risk falling behind your competitors. The industry is moving toward faster iteration cycles, AI-assisted engineering, and efficient development workflows. If your team is still wrestling with long debugging times, manual version control, and disconnected workflows, you're spending more time fighting tools than building great machines.

Automation Studio Code isn't about forcing change – it's about giving you the tools to keep up with the pace of automation today.

Manuel Sánchez:

I'd say: just try it. You don't have to switch everything overnight. Start small – debug a project, use Copilot for a coding task, explore the new set of tools and how they integrate into your daily workflow. Once you see the time savings firsthand, I'm guessing it'll be hard to go back.

Sridharan Rangarajan:

This is about making engineering more enjoyable and less frustrating. Because when engineers can focus on finding solutions instead of battling tools, that's when real innovation happens.