Feature

Wind down to the holidays with DPA’s final issue of 2025

DPA’s December issue covers the topics of Robotics, Drives & Motion Control, Bearings, Belts & Chains, and a special supplement on Medical & Pharmaceutical.

19/12/2025 17:06:47

A neurosurgeon in Florida removes a brain clot in Dundee – without leaving his hospital. In her final column of 2025, Editor Sophia Bell explores the world's first transatlantic robotic stroke surgery (p. 4).

The importance of functional safety extends far beyond compliance. As automation, digitalisation and modularity reshape mechanical engineering, the ability to ensure safe machine operation under all conditions is both a legal obligation and a business imperative. Find out more in our cover story (p. 12).

Finally, in an exclusive article, we sit down with Alan Conn, Managing Director of ABB Robotics, to discuss where companies should begin in their digital transformation journeys, how robotics is shaping competitiveness in a challenging global environment, and what the future looks like for advanced automation in the UK (p. 10).

Other key features include:
• How ASICs can unlock Healthcare 5.0 for patient-centric care (p. 26)
• Motion coordination supports English National Opera production (p. 18)
• Video of the Month: Inside the tech driving the future of police cars (p. 29)
• Industrial aftermarket: A new playground for innovators (p. 20)
• Behind the robot: Sensing, safety and control in Industry 4.0 (p. 5)

Be sure to read the full digital issue here.

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.