ABOUT WARTENS
The Wartens Ecosystem Explained: Where EDWartens Fits
Wartens is the parent; EDWartens is its training division. The companies the ecosystem lists, what each does, how it grew, and what it means for a learner.
The Wartens ecosystem is a group of companies in industrial automation and AI, with Wartens as the parent. EDWartens is its training division: it runs the free online academy at edwartens.com. This page explains what each company listed on our About page does, and what any of it means for a learner.
Wartens and EDWartens
Wartens began in 2013. According to our About page, EDWartens was built because Wartens could not find engineers skilled enough for its own projects, so it started training them. Today that training is the online academy:
- The online academy at edwartens.com: complete free courses in PLC, SCADA, HMI, drives, robotics, DCS, instrumentation, electrical design, industrial networks, safety, IIoT and AI for engineers. The only paid item is an optional Certificate of Completion. If you are not sure where to begin, free learning paths to a controls, automation or industrial AI role puts the courses in order.
The Wartens ecosystem: Physical AI and Digital AI
The ecosystem groups its companies into two divisions. Physical AI means the automation that controls machines: PLC, SCADA, HMI, robotics, drives, DCS and IIoT. Digital AI means the intelligence layer on top: machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, generative AI and large language models. The academy's catalogue mirrors the same split, with automation courses and a track of AI courses for engineers.
The descriptions above are the ones our About page gives for each company. Each runs its own service; this page does not describe their products beyond that.
How it grew
The About page lists these milestones:
- 2013: founded.
- 2015: ISO 9001:2015 certification.
- 2017: Wartens Automation launched.
- 2018: operations in the Middle East (Dubai).
- 2020: TraininginPLC.com launched as an online platform.
- 2021: expansion to the UK, first London, then Milton Keynes.
- 2022: an office in Dover, Delaware, in the USA.
- 2023: Oscabe launched.
- 2024: roboTED launched.
- 2025: iUNI and OFORO AI launched; National Winner at the UK StartUp Awards. The award is covered in a separate post.
The UK office in Milton Keynes is listed as the headquarters; the other offices are listed in the footer of every page. The UK company, WARTENS LTD, is on the public Companies House register with its registered office at the same Milton Keynes address, so anyone can check its status and filings.
What it means for a learner
Very little changes what you do day to day, but three points are worth knowing.
You need nothing else. The free courses on edwartens.com stand on their own. You do not need an account with any other Wartens company, and nothing in a course requires one.
Who you pay. If you buy a certificate, the fee is paid at checkout to a Wartens company, and the checkout page names it. The legal names also appear in the footer of every page. How much an EDWartens certificate costs sets out what is free and what is paid.
What the certificate is. An EDWartens Certificate of Completion shows that you passed a course's final assessment. It carries a code anyone can check at edwartens.com/verification; how to verify a training certificate explains what that check shows. It is not a vendor certification, a university qualification or a government credential, and being part of a larger group does not change that.
Start with a free course
If you are new to automation, start with Siemens TIA Portal. If you already work in a plant and want to see where AI fits, AI for Industrial Automation is the hub of the industrial AI track. Both are free in full; a free account saves your progress.
The optional certificate is a small one-off fee, US$8.99 for a beginner course. Questions about the company can go to info@wartens.com.
Take the free course
Questions
What is the relationship between Wartens and EDWartens?
Wartens is the parent. EDWartens is its training division, which runs the free online academy at edwartens.com.
Who do I pay for an EDWartens certificate?
Certificate fees are paid at checkout to a Wartens company, and the checkout page names it. The legal names of the Wartens companies also appear in the footer of every page.
Do I need to use any other Wartens company to take a free course?
No. The free courses on edwartens.com stand on their own. You need only a free account to save progress.
What do Physical AI and Digital AI mean here?
Physical AI is the automation that controls machines: PLC, SCADA, HMI, robotics, drives, DCS and IIoT. Digital AI is the intelligence layer: machine learning, deep learning, computer vision and generative AI.
Sources
Written by the EDWartens engineering team for general education. Product names are trademarks of their owners; mentioning them does not imply endorsement. Prices and terms of other providers were checked on the date shown and can change.
EU AI Act After the Digital Omnibus: New Deadlines for Industrial AI
Edge AI in Industrial Automation: When to Run Models on the Plant Floor
IMTS 2026 Highlights: Automation, AI and Robotic Machining Trends
Schneider Electric to Buy PTC for US$22.6 Billion: What It Means for Engineers
TIA Portal V21: What's New, Who Should Upgrade and How to Learn It Free
Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing: A Practical Guide for Engineers