The release of TIA Portal V21 marks a major milestone in Siemens’ engineering framework. Designed to support modern industrial demands—such as faster development cycles, greater system availability and stronger integration with IT—this version introduces new capabilities that modernise how automation engineers design, test and maintain automation systems.
From Git-based version control to enhanced SCADA redundancy and improved drive/motion workflows, V21 delivers improvements across the entire engineering lifecycle. Below is a complete overview of what’s new and why it matters.
Why TIA Portal V21 Matters
Manufacturers and system integrators are under more pressure than ever: shorter product lifecycles, increasing product variations, and a growing shortage of skilled automation engineers. TIA Portal V21 directly addresses these challenges by:
improving development efficiency
supporting modern software engineering practices
enabling high-availability SCADA/HMI systems
simplifying drive and motion integration
enhancing data transparency and long-term plant insights
The result is a more scalable, robust and future-proof engineering environment.
Key New Features in TIA Portal V21
1. Git Integration and Modern Version Control Workflows
One of the standout enhancements in V21 is native support for Git-based version control. With a new export format compatible with standard VCS tools, engineers can now:
track changes to PLC, HMI and data objects
collaborate across teams with branching and merging
roll back to previous versions with confidence
adopt CI/CD-style workflows common in modern software development
For many teams, this is the single most impactful feature in years—bringing automation engineering closer to the tooling used by software developers.
2. Enhanced SCADA and Plant-Wide Data Management
V21 delivers significant updates to WinCC Unified and overall SCADA capabilities:
Redundant SCADA Server Architectures
SCADA systems can now run in redundant configurations, providing higher availability and reducing the risk of downtime. This is especially valuable in critical manufacturing environments where continuity is essential.
Unified Data Hub
A new centralized data hub aggregates messages, audit trails and process data across multiple PC runtimes. Benefits include:
long-term, plant-wide data storage
simplified auditing and compliance
easier integration with analytics and reporting tools
Together, these upgrades support better reliability, traceability and decision-making.
3. Improved Drive and Motion Control Integration
With Startdrive V21 and new hardware support, drive and motion engineering is more streamlined than ever.
Key updates include:
support for next-generation SINAMICS drives (including multi-axis systems)
batch firmware updates for multiple drives
multi-object compare (up to 5 drives at once)
background downloads—so the UI stays responsive
improved tracing and diagnostics
These improvements greatly reduce commissioning time and simplify maintenance for complex motion systems.
4. Greater Openness and Engineering Automation
TIA Portal V21 expands the openness of the platform—making it easier to integrate with external tools and automate engineering tasks.
Improvements include:
more powerful APIs
better library and add-in management
easier integration with IT/OT systems, cloud platforms and custom engineering tools
This aligns perfectly with the industry trend toward software-defined automation, where modularity, reuse and integration are critical.
What This Means for Engineers and Plant Operators
For automation engineers & system integrators:
smoother collaboration on large projects
reduced engineering time
fewer conflicts or overwrites
improved long-term maintainability
For machine builders & OEMs:
faster commissioning
easier diagnostics
easier replication of standard machines and libraries
For plant operators:
higher availability thanks to SCADA redundancy
greater visibility through centralised data collection
improved compliance and audit readiness
Is It Worth Upgrading to V21?
For most organisations, the answer is yes—particularly if you rely on:
multi-engineer development teams
large-scale SCADA systems
heavy drive/motion applications
strong traceability or compliance workflows
Even for smaller environments, the jump in engineering efficiency (especially Git integration) makes V21 a compelling upgrade.
How PG Can Help
At PG we bridge the gap between complex technologies and your unique challenges. Our experts can help apply innovative technologies to improve your operations at a pace and budget that’s right for your business. To discuss your needs with a member of our team contact us at support@parmley-graham.co.uk or call 0191 478 0404. You can also fill out the form below, and a member of our team will be in touch.