Hexagon AB invited Tech-Clarity to the recently concluded HxGN LIVE Global 2025 event in Las Vegas and our analyst, Arvind Krishnan covered this event. In this article, we want to discuss three announcements that stood out: Octave, Proplan AI/Autonomous Metrology Suite, and Aeon.
Octave – The New Home for Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
What is Octave, and why did Hexagon create this new company?
Not too long ago, Hexagon announced it would spin off its Asset Lifecycle Intelligence (ALI) division. Now, we know the name of the new company – Octave. In addition to ALI, Octave will include the Safety, Infrastructure, and Geospatial (SIG), ETQ, and Bricsys divisions. Hexagon also announced Mattias Stenberg as Octave’s CEO. Hexagon expects Octave to become a publicly listed company sometime in 2026 (subject to the approval of the Board and shareholders). So, what was the need to create Octave? The answer is FOCUS, in our opinion. If you attended HxGN LIVE Global 2025, it was clear that Hexagon’s core business wants to focus on metrology and other hardware-related verticals. Another reason could be that it intends to separate its software/SaaS businesses from its hardware businesses and unlock value in both divisions. If you believe that the growth potential of the SaaS business is higher than that of the traditional hardware business, Hexagon’s shareholders can realize this superior growth from Octave. We wish Octave the very best in its new journey.
Proplan AI and Autonomous Metrology Suite – Manufacturing Intelligence’s Answer to Quality and Skill Gaps in Manufacturing
The theme for Manufacturing Intelligence was quality. Andreas Renault, the President of MI, talked about quality for life. Many of today’s products touch people’s lives and quality products are about delivering a great experience. Good quality products turn functionalities into great experiences for customers. And Hexagon believes that quality is the #1 driver for innovation. Andreas shared some eye-popping data (85% of manufacturers struggle to solve the underlying causes of quality issues), where solving quality problems is a significant business challenge. Many new products (scanners, CMM machines, and software) that Hexagon unveiled at the event directly address quality. A couple of solutions that I want to discuss are Proplan AI and the Autonomous Metrology Suite.
Proplan AI is an advanced AI-driven CNC process planning solution integrated with Hexagon’s ESPRIT EDGE CAM suite. Proplan AI helps new operators quickly become proficient in programming CNC machines, enables companies to cope with the skills gap, and improves productivity by reducing manual processing time. Since Proplan AI learns from past CAM files generated by experienced programmers in the company, it embeds corporate know-how (preferred speeds, feeds, tools) to ensure consistency and guarantee quality. Ultimately, Proplan AI empowers organizations to retain institutional knowledge, defer routine engineering work to AI, and accelerate time‑to‑market with consistent quality and lower resource overhead. Proplan AI uses the Nexus platform and also Nexus SaaS user interface. According to Hexagon. this platform and user interface approach to Proplan AI would accelerate the adoption of cloud technology for traditional desktop users.
Hexagon also announced the Autonomous Metrology Suite, an innovative software solution designed to streamline quality control in manufacturing by eliminating coding from coordinate measuring machine (CMM) workflows. By Automating and simplifying measurement processes the Autonomous Metrology Suite drastically reduces programming time from days to hours, making it easier for manufacturers to maintain high accuracy amid growing pressures like shorter product lifecycles and a shortage of skilled CMM programmers. Based on the Nexus platform, the solution features a user-friendly interface, enabling even novice users to create compliant inspection programs while ensuring consistent measurement standards across operations. solution’s real-time data analytics and monitoring capabilities empower manufacturers to make data-driven decisions, ultimately enhancing productivity and efficiency on the shop floor.
Aeon – Advancing the Use of Humanoids in Manufacturing
Hexagon’s Robotics Division introduced Aeon, a versatile, humanoid robotic system blending advanced mobility, sensor fusion, and AI-powered spatial awareness to execute tasks in human-centric industrial environments autonomously. Hexagon Robotics designed Aeon for manufacturing applications. Three use cases that Hexagon highlighted stood out for us.
- With its dextrous hands, Aeon can perform tasks such as placing, tightening, and quality assessment without requiring tooling change.
- With its sensor-rich architecture, Aeon can perform autonomous in-line inspections to spot quality issues.
- Finally, Aeon can meet workforce disparities through automation that enhances safety, operational uptime, and ergonomic outcomes while working collaboratively with human operators.
Our Take
Many of the new solutions we learned about in this event directly support Tech-Clarity’s research findings. Quality is indispensable to manufacturers, and they are investing in technologies that can help them improve the quality of their products and services. At the same time, finding a skilled workforce in manufacturing is challenging. Manufacturers in every region echo this challenge. So, solutions like Proplan AI, Autonomous Metrology Suite, and Aeon, which address quality and skill deficiency issues, are likely to be widely adopted by manufacturers.
Many of Hexagon’s existing software solutions in Design and Engineering also help manufacturers find and address the root cause of quality problems in manufacturing. The users of these solutions could also benefit from AI. Unfortunately, Hexagon did not share much about its AI strategy for existing products. It is possible to see Copilot-like features for many of Hexagon’s software solutions. And this enhancement could be a game-changer for Hexagon’s customers.
Thank you, Robin Wolstenholme and Mandy Wardman, for giving us analysts a wonderful experience at the 2025 event.
