Making the Hannover Messe fit for the future

Dr. Köckler, how do you rate the trade fair?

We are very satisfied with how this year's Hannover Messe went. Visitors from all over the world came to Hannover to find out about the latest topics in the industry, and as expected, AI was at the center of the discussions. Our partner country Canada was represented by around 260 companies and took the opportunity to present itself as an innovative and reliable partner for Europe.

What feedback have you received from exhibitors and visitors so far?

I have been talking to our partners, exhibitors and some visitors all week. As a trade fair, we have received a lot of praise for how we have positioned the event in these challenging times and which topics were in focus. In particular, new formats such as the Masterclasses and Dynamic Tours were very well received and will be developed further for 2026.

What were your personal highlights?

It was impressive to see the efficiency benefits that artificial intelligence already offers today. With the further development of the Industrial Copilot, Siemens showed how it can help to simplify tasks such as writing control codes or diagnosing machine errors. Fascinating robotics applications were on display in the Application Park, while the impressive world of the hydrogen economy was on show in Hall 13. It was once again a Hannover Messe full of innovations and inspiration.

Which trends and innovations have particularly impressed you this year?

It is fascinating to see how AI has now found its way into factories and what efficiency potential this offers. We can already look forward to seeing what awaits us in this respect in 2026. There were exciting robotics applications in the Application Park. On display were intelligent robot systems, autonomously driving devices in use, the latest AI applications in robotics, image recognition tools and virtual platforms.

The main theme of the trade fair was "Energizing a sustainable industry". How did the exhibitors implement the theme?

The main theme was implemented in a variety of ways. Solutions were presented that optimize energy consumption and reduce_{CO2 emissions} at the same time. Here too, digitalization offers opportunities to save material and therefore costs right from the planning stage. In addition, companies can monitor and control their production processes in order to use energy more efficiently and reduce their ecological footprint.

A look into the crystal ball: How do you see the Hannover Messe developing in the coming years? Are you planning any changes?

We are constantly adapting the Hannover Messe concept. Even before this year's Hannover Messe, we held workshops with our exhibitors and visitors in order to make the trade fair fit for the future. I am very confident that Hannover Messe will continue to grow in importance in the coming years, both as a technological innovation platform for European industry and its partners and as a catalyst for greater international cooperation.

What are the most important goals that Deutsche Messe wants to achieve in the coming years?

Our guiding principle "We do trade fairs - sustainably successful for us with our customers" is our compass. The most important goal remains: To consistently develop our events in line with the needs of our exhibitors and visitors - so that our trade fairs remain relevant, effective and economically successful in the future.