HANNOVER MESSE energizes a sustainable industry

By OEM Update Editorial January 25, 2024 3:38 pm

Key tasks facing industry today include improving competitiveness, protecting the climate and driving prosperity – and innovative technologies are crucial to meeting such challenges. Exhibitors at HANNOVER MESSE demonstrate how companies can most efficiently use automation, artificial intelligence and renewable energies to achieve these goals.

“Innovative technologies like those we see in April at HANNOVER MESSE are paving the way to a climate-neutral, high-performance industry,” said Arno Reich, Senior Vice President of Trade Fair and Product Management at Deutsche Messe AG. “However, companies need guidance on how to apply automation, artificial intelligence and energy management concepts. Furthermore, bureaucracy and a shortage of skilled workers are limiting growth potential.”

HANNOVER MESSE 2024 provides the answers to these challenges under the lead theme of “Energizing a Sustainable Industry.” According to Reich, ‘The solution is a mix of new technologies, cross-industry collaboration and a clear political framework.” At HANNOVER MESSE, companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and digital industries as well as the energy sector come together to present their solutions for a greener future. More than 4,000 companies represent a united industrial ecosystem and demonstrate how automation, digitalization and electrification can enable climate neutrality. Top industry trends at the fair include artificial intelligence, carbon-neutral production, energy systems, Industrie 4.0 and Manufacturing-X, and hydrogen and fuel cells.

Exhibiting companies include global technology enterprises such as Amazon Web Services, Bosch Rexroth, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Salzgitter AG, SAP, Schneider Electric, and Siemens as well as small and medium-sized enterprises such as Beckhoff Automation, EBM-Pabst, Festo, ifm electronic, igus, LAPP, Pepperl+Fuchs, Pilz, Q-CELLS, Rittal, Turk, and WAGO.

Leading research organizations such as Bavaria Innovative, various Fraunhofer institutes, the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), and Germany’s Ministry of Education and Research spotlight the current state of R&D and technology transfer. More than 300 industrial startups boost the focus on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Green hydrogen is gaining more and more traction as governments and companies invest in projects to decarbonize sectors such as manufacturing and transportation. HANNOVER MESSE features roughly 500 companies from the hydrogen and fuel cell industry, including more than 300 at the group exhibit Hydrogen + Fuel Cells Europe.

Norway is Partner Country at HANNOVER MESSE 2024. With the theme “Norway 2024: Pioneering the Green Industrial Transition”, the country highlights its plans for converting to a low-carbon society and its key role in developing solutions within sectors such as renewable energy, carbon-neutral production, and application of green and digital solutions. The Norwegian-German Energy Conference on 23 April examines a hydrogen economy that creates investment security for infrastructure, production, transport, storage, and distribution.

Two months before elections in Europe, the European Union presents itself at HANNOVER MESSE as a strong economic alliance. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, kicks off the program with a speech at the opening ceremony on 21 April. The EU’s program during the fair includes the conference “EU as Home of Decarbonized Industry” – where industry representatives can meet EU politicians to discuss topics such as the Green Deal – and the European Commission Pavilion.

A shortage of skilled workers remains a challenge in industry. YOUR FUTURE is HANNOVER MESSE’s young talent initiative that encourages high school graduates, college students and young professionals to pursue careers in areas such as Al, engineering and robotics. The program consists of meetings with potential employers, guided tours to sponsoring exhibitors, information on apprenticeship and trainee programs, and networking with other participants.