What NAMUR does

NAMUR – Interessengemeinschaft Automatisierungstechnik der Prozessindustrie e.V. is a German registered association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) headquartered c/o Bayer AG in Monheim, Germany, that operates as the user association for automation technology in the process industries. It is governed by a Board of Management chaired by Tobias Schlichtmann and serves process industry operators — chemical, pharmaceutical, and petrochemical producers — as end-users (Anwender) of automation solutions rather than as vendors. The association organizes its technical work across four work areas (AF 1 Planning and Construction, AF 2 Process and Operations Management Systems, AF 3 Electrical and Instrumentation, AF 4 Operations and Maintenance) with over 40 working groups, multiple project groups, and dedicated activities in China.

NAMUR's product and output portfolio consists of: NENA (NAMUR Empfehlungen) technical recommendations and worksheets; MTP and PA-DIM interoperability specifications for standardized device integration; NAMUR.smart, a SaaS monitoring tool for process automation safety equipment covering over 100,000 units and 250,000 devices across 120+ contributing companies and supporting IEC 61511 functional safety compliance; MES Wizard for Manufacturing Execution System selection; Glossar for terminology; and NENA GPT, an AI-assisted search tool across the recommendations library. Distribution occurs primarily through the password-protected myNAMUR member portal and the annual NAMUR Hauptsitzung conference in Neuss, complemented by live online events ('Meet your NENA', 'Get to know your Working Group') and a YouTube channel and LinkedIn presence.

The business model is subscription and membership-based: NAMUR is funded through recurring membership fees from process industry companies plus paid subscriptions for the NAMUR.smart tool, which uses tiered annual pricing scaled by the number of safety equipment units monitored, with unlimited users per company. The Hauptsitzung conference is free for member companies and generates revenue from non-member registrations and sponsorship (e.g., Pepperl+Fuchs as flagship sponsor of the 2026 edition). Regional chapters in the USA and China extend the member-driven model outside the DACH core.

Name

NAMUR

Legal name

NAMUR – Interessengemeinschaft Automatisierungstechnik der Prozessindustrie e.V.

Website

https://namur.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NAMUR is a German registered user association for automation technology in the process industries, serving chemical, pharmaceutical, and petrochemical operators through technical recommendations (NENA), interoperability specifications (MTP & PA-DIM), the NAMUR.smart safety-equipment monitoring tool covering 100,000+ units across 120+ member companies, and an annual conference with regional chapters in the USA and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Process Automation Standards and Tools

NAICS

Information (51)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Asset & Maintenance Management (EAM/CMMS) Platforms (HDAEAEAM)

Keywords

• Process automation standards
• Functional safety monitoring
• Automation technical recommendations
• Process industry association
• Safety equipment performance

Headquarters

HQ city

Leverkusen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: NAMUR is funded through membership fees from process industry companies. The association provides recommendations, tools, working groups, and events in exchange for membership dues. The pricing for membership is described as cost-based (Kosten einer Mitgliedschaft), with member companies receiving free access to the annual Hauptsitzung with unlimited participants.
2. NAMUR.smart Tool Subscription: NAMUR.smart is a paid software tool available to member companies. Companies pay an annual fee based on the number of safety equipment units monitored. The pricing is tiered and publicly disclosed, with unlimited user accounts included for member companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NAMUR is a member-driven industry association that develops and distributes technical recommendations (NENA), specifications (MTP & PA-DIM), and software tools for automation technology in the process industries. Its core offerings include the NAMUR.smart monitoring platform for safety equipment performance, NENA GPT for AI-assisted recommendation search, and the MES Wizard for Manufacturing Execution System evaluation.

Product overview

NAMUR (Interessengemeinschaft Automatisierungstechnik der Prozessindustrie e.V.) is a user association for automation technology in the process industry, not a traditional product company. Its offerings center on a suite of digital tools for its member companies: NAMUR.smart serves as the core monitoring platform for safety equipment performance and functional safety management; NENA GPT provides AI-powered access to NAMUR recommendations; MES Wizard offers guidance for Manufacturing Execution Systems; and the Glossar provides terminology resources. The portfolio is complemented by NENA publications (current and historical recommendations), MTP & PA-DIM specifications for standardization, and the annual NAMUR Hauptsitzung conference. The organization facilitates knowledge exchange through working groups organized across four main areas: Planning and Construction (AF 1), Process Automation Systems (AF 2), Electrical and Instrumentation (AF 3), and Operation Support and Maintenance (AF 4).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NAMUR.smart: A tool for monitoring safety equipment performance, helping to identify problems with devices or device series early and enabling the determination of real failure rates for subsystems of safety functions.
• NENA GPT
• MES Wizard
• NAMUR Award

Products and services

• NAMUR.smart A software tool for monitoring the performance of PLT (Process Measurement and Control Technology) safety equipment, enabling early detection of problems at devices or device series, and calculating real failure rates of subsystems for determining Probability of Failure on Demand (PFD). Supports compliance with IEC 61511, VDI/VDE 2180, and TRBS 1115 functional safety standards. Used by process industry operators.
• NENA GPT AI-powered tool for accessing and interacting with NAMUR recommendations (NENA). Provides AI-assisted search across current NENA documents to help process automation professionals find relevant technical recommendations.
• MES Wizard A guided tool for Manufacturing Execution System (MES) selection and evaluation, including a Wiki component for documentation and knowledge sharing. Supports process industry companies in MES-related decisions.
• Glossar (Glossary) A glossary tool providing terminology and definitions related to process automation and NAMUR standards. Used by process automation professionals for reference and standardization.
• NENA (NAMUR Empfehlungen) Current and historical NAMUR recommendations and worksheets providing guidance on automation technology in process industries. Distributed to members through the password-protected myNAMUR portal. Covers all aspects of process automation.
• MTP & PA-DIM Specifications Module Type Package (MTP) and Process Automation - Device Information Model (PA-DIM) specifications for standardized device integration and communication in process automation environments.
• NAMUR Hauptsitzung (Annual Conference) Annual conference event featuring technical presentations, workshops, and the NAMUR Award ceremony. Focuses on automation and digitalization topics for process industry professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 safety equipment units monitored with over 250,000 devices across 120+ companies, enabling statistically meaningful PFD calculations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pepperl+FuchsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Pepperl+Fuchs serves as the main sponsor of the NAMUR Hauptsitzung 2026 annual conference. As sponsor, Pepperl+Fuchs delivers the opening keynote presentation on 'FROM SMART SHOP FLOORS TO DIGITAL BUSINESS MODELS'. This sponsorship positions Pepperl+Fuchs as a key industry partner supporting NAMUR's knowledge-sharing mission.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ZVEI (Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie): German industry association for the electrical and digital industry, including automation. Like NAMUR it operates as a German-headquartered member-driven association shaping automation standards and events, though ZVEI represents vendors rather than end-users.
• VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure): Germany's largest engineering association with extensive standards (VDI-Richtlinien) activity in process and automation engineering. Comparable as a German member-driven standards body with technical working groups.
• OPC Foundation: Industry consortium driving OPC UA interoperability standards used across process automation. Peer in the standards/specifications layer that NAMUR's MTP and PA-DIM specifications complement.
• ODVA: Global standards organization for industrial networking technologies including CIP used in process and discrete automation. Peer in automation communication standards adjacent to NAMUR's MTP and PA-DIM work.
• FieldComm Group: Standards organization for process automation device integration (Fieldbus Foundation + HART Communication Foundation). Directly comparable as an automation-specific interoperability standards body serving process industries.
• PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI): International industry organization promoting PROFIBUS and PROFINET communication standards widely used in process automation. Comparable as a vendor-led standards body in the same automation ecosystem NAMUR shapes.
• International Society of Automation (ISA): Global non-profit professional association for automation engineers and practitioners. Comparable to NAMUR as an end-user/standards community focused on automation, though broader in scope and US-headquartered.

Broad incumbents

• IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission): International standards body whose IEC 61511 (functional safety) framework directly anchors NAMUR.smart. Broader incumbent in the same standards ecosystem that NAMUR recommendations operationalize for plant operators.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NAMUReV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/namur-ev

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NAMUR