TIA Portal v21 accelerates transition to software-defined automation
14 November 2025 
Siemens is unveiling version 21 of its TIA Portal engineering framework at the SPS (Smart Production Solutions) trade show in Germany later this month. The new release is aimed at machine-builders developing innovative machines with efficient engineering workflows, and at discrete manufacturers seeking more powerful and reliable production.
The new version is has been designed to addresses challenges such as shorter product lifecycles, increasing variant diversity, and the shortage of skilled workers.
“With TIA Portal v21 we are accelerating the transition to software-defined automation,” says Horst Kayser, CEO of factory automation at Siemens Digital Industries. “Git-based CI workflows shorten development cycles, while high-availability Scada architectures ensure that our customers can keep their plants running more efficiently and adapt them flexibly to new market requirements.”
TIA Portal combines all automation tasks in a single environment, offers open interfaces for IT/OT integration and supports testing and simulation functions including digital twins. It offers a choice of deployment models – on-premises, by subscription, or in the cloud.
Version 21 focuses on higher engineering efficiencies and end-to-end standardisation. A new export format allows version control systems such as Git to be integrated for the first time. This applies to LAD, FBD, SCL, data blocks, PLC data types and mixed-language blocks, and many others.
It allows Step 7 users to benefit from optimised continuous-integration workflows and simplified versioning, resulting in shorter project runtimes and traceability of any changes.
Scada applications based on WinCC Unified can now be operated in redundant server architectures that ensure continuous operation and high availability. In addition, the WinCC Unified Data Hub, acting as a central archive, provides access to – and long-term storage of – production data, messages and audit trails from multiple WinCC Unified PC runtimes, helping to create continuous, plant-wide data transparency over long periods of time.
