Following the premiere of the multistage concept last year, Formnext is continuing its lecture program in 2024. This year, applications, technologies and trends in the AM and manufacturing industry will once again be discussed on three stages. The main topics are artificial intelligence, robotics and automation. The call for speakers is open.

Teamviewer will be showcasing Industry 4.0 technologies based on augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR), which manufacturing and logistics companies can use to accelerate their digital transformation.

The manufacturing industry in the United States is investing more heavily in automation: the number of installations rose to a total of 44,303 units in 2023 - an increase of 12% compared to the previous year.

The Charx connect universal CCS vehicle charging sockets from Phoenix Contact now also enable high-power charging with a continuous 375 kilowatts.

Cybershield is a company founded in 2021 with a focus on operational technologies and has set itself the goal of significantly advancing IT security in the OT sector and supporting customers.

Manufacturing-X is picking up speed. Dr. Marc Hüske, head of the VDMA's Manufacturing-X forum, explains what is behind the initiative, what efforts other projects are building on and what to-dos are on the list.

Getac, a provider of rugged computer solutions, is showcasing robust technological innovations. Under the motto "Total Solutions", the company is presenting complete solutions for AI and IIoT applications for industry, energy supply and logistics, among others.

Festo will use PLCnext Technology, the open ecosystem for modern automation from Phoenix Contact, in future intelligent devices.

Dassault Systèmes has announced a partnership with Pepperl+Fuchs. The aim of the collaboration is to jointly tackle the challenges facing the automation industry in the coming years and to develop innovative solutions.

At the Hannover Messe, Artiminds Robotics presented a robot-based automation solution for the sensor-assisted assembly of flexible cables and wires in connector housings.

The teaching materials provider Fischertechnik presented a modular factory simulation at the Hannover Messe: the Agile Production Simulation. The model simulates agile production processes in a very small space and illustrates digital and haptic processes in a state-of-the-art factory of the future.

4,000 exhibiting companies, 130,000 visitors from 150 countries, 300 start-ups and over 300 economic policy delegations from all over the world: Hannover Messe has shown that it combines the best of technological innovation, business trade fair and economic policy agenda-setting. This makes it the "driving force behind the incipient upswing" in Germany and Europe, and not just for Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck.

A power failure in the cold store is a nightmare for refrigerated logistics companies that have to guarantee the freshness of many customers' goods. This happened to a frozen food specialist in NRW. Suddenly the power went out, but the logistics specialist acted immediately and called Bredenoord for help.

In the year of the company's 75th anniversary, Wittenstein's trade fair appearance was themed "Shaping the world of cybertronic motion".

Mayr Antriebstechnik shows how intelligent, talking brakes and clutches can be cleverly used for process monitoring.

mbo Osswald aims to set new standards in the world of fastening technology with its new sleeve configurator. This tool was developed to design individual components for different industries precisely and in line with requirements.

After years of strong growth, 2023 was a year of consolidation for Festo. Turnover was just below the previous year's level (-4.3% to around 3.65 billion euros). The company continued to invest heavily in research and development and the expansion of regional market supply.

On the first two days of the trade fair, visitors were particularly interested in the topic of artificial intelligence. Many traveled to Hanover with the desire to find out how this much-discussed topic can be used for their own industrial production.

Autodesk will be showing customers and partners real-life examples of how artificial intelligence, networked data and cloud platforms offer new potential for a more efficient and sustainable manufacturing industry.

At the Hannover Messe, Baden-Württemberg's Minister President Winfried Kretschmann paid a visit to the stand of the Materials Testing Institute (MPA) at the University of Stuttgart. The MPA focused on the topic of e-mobility at this year's trade fair.