The three associations Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the AIA - Advancing Vision + Imaging and the Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA) unite to form the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), which then has more than 1,100 member companies. These in turn represent millions of employees and billions in sales.

By comparison, the VDMA has a total of around 3,300 member companies. According to the VDMA, the German mechanical engineering industry as a whole generates nearly 230 billion euros in sales (2019) and employs about 1.35 million people.

With this move, the A3 aims to become the "world's leading automation trade association" and "drive the transformation of the global economy." As of April 14, 2021, the website www.automate.org will become the new address of the new association.