"Industry in the European economic area is facing major challenges: Securing competitiveness, growing customer demands, increasingly scarce skilled workers or digitalization concepts for production. Even if the economy is currently running at full speed, it is important to develop future-proof concepts now," says Kersten Bunke, Project Director of Intec and Z at Leipziger Messe. "The trade program of the trade fair double offers many opportunities to find out about future topics and be inspired to find solutions for the challenges ahead."

"Additive + hybrid": Connection between two worlds

The special show with integrated specialist forum "Additive + Hybrid - New manufacturing technologies in use", newly designed for Intec and Z 2019, presents applications and trends for intelligent process combinations and illustrates how the limits of conventional processes can be overcome by combining classic manufacturing processes with innovative technologies. Exhibits and application examples will be presented in a special area. On all days of the trade fair, the specialist forum will provide an insight into the current state of the art and offer examples of solutions already used in practice, including possibilities for functional integration and the advantages of multi-material production.

On the way to an intelligent product thanks to sensor technology

A new special show at Intec and Z 2019 is dedicated to the topic of sensor technology. Modern industry is heading towards a new generation of intelligent, networked systems - both in production and in the products themselves. Sensor technology plays a key role in this. The special show entitled "Sensors - on the way to the intelligent product. Solutions, trends, potentials" focuses on the application benefits and challenges - including best practice examples. The accompanying specialist forum will focus on the potential of sensor technology, system integration and the flood of data to be managed. The special show and specialist forum are organized by Leipziger Messe in cooperation with AMZ - Automotive Suppliers Saxony.

Expert forum "new mobility": New vehicle drives - challenges and opportunities for production technology and the supplier industry

New drive concepts in vehicle construction are a topic that mechanical engineering companies and suppliers are also increasingly having to deal with. "This development will influence conventional production processes and manufacturing technology. That is why it is important for us to host the 'new mobility' specialist forum for the first time during Intec and Z," says Dr. Deliane Träber, Business Unit Director of Leipziger Messe. "The event offers a platform for observations and discussions on the challenges and opportunities for production technology and the supplier industry that new vehicle drives bring with them." For example, the Drive Technology Association of the VDMA will report on the effects of the electrification of the vehicle powertrain on mechanical and plant engineering. A panel discussion will round off the specialist forum, which Leipziger Messe is organizing together with the Automotive Cluster Ostdeutschland on 7 February.

Smart production, increasing resource efficiency
The "Resource-efficient production" congress is being held for the sixth time as part of the trade fair double bill. The motto of the congress on February 6 is "Smart Production. Scenarios. Solutions. Benefit." and shows how new developments in digitalization help to save resources and increase production efficiency. The speakers will present the latest methods and practical application examples from everyday production. The focus will be on the networking of information - because this allows previously hidden correlations and optimization potential to be identified and exploited in complex processes.

A plenary session will first provide an insight into the fields of action and an overview of current trends and special solutions for smart production. This will be followed by the specialist sessions "Smart Energy & Resource - innovative and value-adding", "Smart Technology - adaptive and flexible" and "Smart Maintenance - efficient and reliable".

Added value through international cooperation

International business cooperation is a trademark of the trade fair association and an important instrument for securing competitiveness, especially for small and medium-sized companies. Numerous visitor and exhibitor delegations from Russia and other CIS countries have also announced their attendance in 2019. To mark the occasion, Saxony Economic Development Corporation (WFS) is organizing the "International Cooperation Forum Russia/CIS" on 5 February. Thomas Horn, Managing Director of WFS: "Economic cooperation between Saxony and Russia has a long tradition. Even under the current circumstances, it is important to maintain this tradition and continuously cultivate existing contacts in order to develop joint projects and plans. Just how important this approach was and is is now becoming clear. Russian interest in Saxony continues unabated and is even growing. This is one of the reasons why Russia has now declared Z/Intec as an eligible trade fair for its companies for the first time. With our 'Cooperation Forum Russia/CIS', we want to offer a platform again this year that brings companies from both sides together directly in order to deepen existing business contacts and create new ones."

The WFS will also be hosting the "XIII Polish-Saxon Business Forum 2019" on February 6 and the "Country Meeting 4.0 - Saxony-Poland-Czech Republic-Romania" on February 7. The "CONTACT Business Meetings" of the Leipzig Chamber of Industry and Commerce on February 6 also traditionally promote cross-border cooperation. The common goal of all these meetings is to initiate initial contact between companies looking for national and international suppliers and cooperation partners.

Specialist program with a wide range

The Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport is organizing the international industry conference "Industry's Hidden Champions - Paths to Market Leadership" on 5 February.

The last day of the trade fair (February 8) is traditionally dedicated to young professionals. Under the heading "Young professionals meet industry", the Skilled Workers' Day with its lecture program and job exchange is aimed at the student and young visitor target group. In addition to the congress and workshops in the Congress Center Leipzig (CCL), the forums in the exhibition halls offer a wide range of topics. In the Exhibitor Forum in Hall 2, the program includes practical presentations by exhibitors as well as events such as "Coating and surface technology for tools" and the "BME Buyers' Day" (6 February) and "Automation in production" (7 February). In Hall 4, visitors will be able to experience lean production in live demonstrations at the Lean Factory learning factory on all four days of the trade fair.