After the corona-related break, trade fairs have been organized again since last year. How has the trade fair business started?
We are very satisfied with the current level of registrations for HANNOVER MESSE. We have not yet reached the pre-corona level, but we are making very good progress. Most of our key accounts are back as exhibitors this year, and we can look forward to a trade fair with many highlights.

Many had hoped for a recovery to pre-corona levels in 2023. Now a recession is looming - what does that mean for this edition of Hannover Messe? What are your expectations for this event?
Where there are risks, there are also opportunities. And we see the latter for HANNOVER MESSE, as it is the only place where the entire industrial ecosystem comes together to present and discuss new products and solutions. Due to the rise in energy prices, the focus is on energy efficiency and energy management as well as_CO2-neutral production and the use of hydrogen as an energy source.

Ukraine war, pandemic, supply chain problems and: The year 2023 will present the economy with challenges. What impetus can Hannover Messe provide?
This makes the world's leading trade fair for industry all the more important. Here in Hanover, both exhibitors and visitors will find answers to the many challenges of our time. One example is the topic of hydrogen, which has been on the verge of a breakthrough for decades, and now energy prices have risen to such an extent that the production of green hydrogen is slowly becoming economical and can thus make a significant contribution to the energy transition. Anyone interested in finding out more about this topic will find more than 500 companies from the hydrogen industry at HANNOVER MESSE.

What trends do you see among the exhibitors and what will characterize this year's HANNOVER MESSE?
We have defined five overarching industry trends:_CO2-neutral production and energy management, AI & machine learning, Industry 4.0 and hydrogen and fuel cells. The exhibition themes at HANNOVER MESSE all contribute to these trends and a large number of exhibitors will be showing products and solutions related to these trends.

You mention_CO2-neutral production and energy management as "industry trends". What can Deutsche Messe do to ensure sustainability in trade fair operations as well?
As Deutsche Messe, we have set ourselves the goal of being_CO2-neutral by 2035. We have anchored the topic of sustainability as a key pillar of our corporate strategy and have thus made it a central topic for the future. It is important to us to live up to our social responsibility and thus remain an attractive trade fair location in the long term. This calendar year, we are developing an energy transformation concept for the exhibition grounds and will gradually implement it with clear measures. This also includes the installation of photovoltaic systems and other energy-efficient plant technology.

The Indonesian President Joko Widodo will be attending the opening of Hannover Messe and will take a tour of the trade fair with the German Chancellor on Monday. How did it come about that Indonesia became a partner country this year?
Indonesia was already confirmed as a partner country for 2020 and was included in the HANNOVER MESSE Digital Edition in 2021. However, due to the pandemic, the partner country participation could not be held as a face-to-face event, so it was Indonesia's great wish to be present live on site this year. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and a highly relevant buyer of energy and industrial technology due to its recently published ambitious climate targets. With economic growth of more than five percent, Indonesia is also on the road to recovery after the pandemic. This is primarily due to high commodity prices. Coal, palm oil, nickel and rubber from Indonesia are achieving record prices on international markets in some cases. However, Indonesia's aim is to attract more labor-intensive manufacturing to the country. Following the liberalization of investment law and labour law, international investors can now operate more flexibly.

This is the 20th anniversary of the "Hermes Award" industry prize for special technical innovations. Are there any particular focal points among the technologies submitted?
Every year, the submissions reflect the wide range of technologies at HANNVOER MESSE, and this year is no different. We are already very excited to see which solutions will be nominated this year.

This year, Deutsche Messe is presenting the "Young Engineering Award" for the first time as part of the "WomenPower 2023" career congress. How is the proportion of women in STEM fields in industry developing in general?
Industry urgently needs more skilled workers, so the number of women in STEM fields must be significantly increased. Currently, the proportion of women studying technical subjects is only 22%, compared to 41% in Greece and Sweden. We are therefore proud that we have created formats such as the WomenPower career congress and the Young Engineering Award to encourage women to study technical subjects.

New ideas are urgently needed, especially for the difficult challenges of our time. The trade fair offers the Startup Area for pioneering industrial startups. How can these young technology companies help to further develop their ideas and ultimately gain a foothold in the market?
In addition to the pitches that we offer start-ups on a dedicated stage, we have launched a new format: HACK4INDUSTRY. It works like this: established industrial companies set a challenge in the run-up to the trade fair, start-ups develop tailor-made prototypes and apply for a pitch at the industrial company. At the HACK4INDUSTRY Night, the best three start-ups present their solution - one for each challenge. The idea with the most innovative and exciting solution is awarded a prize.