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Global industry ‘in midst of major change’ because of ‘megatrends’

Hannover Messe 2020 will coincide with a period of rapid technological change and political and economic uncertainty, according to its organisers.

Sporting its 2020-season lead theme of “Industrial Transformation” and featuring some 6,000 exhibitors, the world’s top trade show for industrial technology will shine a light on the opportunities arising from new technologies, changing buyer behavior and a growing awareness of climate protection.

Experts at Deutsche Messe, one of the world’s largest industrial trade show companies and the owner of Hannover Messe, the global industrial sector is “in the midst of a period of major change”, driven primarily by the “megatrends” of digitization, individualization and climate protection.

At the same time, it is grappling with some very challenging economic and political fundamentals.

Dr Jochen Köckler, chairman of Deutsche Messe, says: “The world is embarking on a period of change, the likes of which we haven’t seen for a long time.

“And that makes Hannover Messe more important than ever – because it is the only trade show to accord the industrial transformation process the holistic and ongoing focus that it warrants.

“Thanks to the diversity and expertise of its multi-industry exhibitor base and its lead-theme focus on Industrial Transformation, Hannover Messe is a trend barometer and innovations driver for a globally and digitally integrated industrial sector.”

Today’s industrial-sector customers are facing very different requirements and challenges than only a few years ago.

The result is a very different demand-side situation, and the R&D sector and providers of production, logistics and energy supply technology need to adapt to it.

The challenge is to take control and actively shape this transformation process, and that means investment in areas like Industry 4.0, Logistics 4.0, artificial intelligence, 5G, CO2-neutral production, lightweight design and electric dive technology.

Hannover Messe’s coverage of these technologies and its holistic focus on Industrial Transformation make it the perfect platform for exhibitors from the mechanical engineering industry.

Thilo Brodtmann, CEO of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), says: “Companies from the mechanical and plant engineering industry want a platform where they can connect with an international industry audience and showcase their strengths as providers of solutions in a digitally integrated production landscape.

“That’s solutions across entire value chains, from materials procurement to production and logistics, to energy supply, right through to new platform-based sales channels.

“At the same time, these companies seek inspiration and fresh ideas for the ongoing changes they need to make in their own operations. Hannover Messe meets both of these requirements. As such, it is a unique meeting hub that shows the way forward into the future.”

Whatever they are looking for, whether it’s individual components, complete systems or entire digital ecosystems, Hannover Messe is the place where industry CEOs, design and development engineers, production, logistics and IT directors and supply chain and energy managers can find all the technologies they need in order to keep their companies competitive and futureproof their business models.

Approximately 6,000 companies will be exhibiting at Hannover Messe 2020. Among them are names like ABB, Amazon Web Services, Arburg, Beckhoff, Bosch Rexroth, Cisco, Dematic, Endress+Hauser, Festo, Fraunhofer, Harting, IBG, IBM, ifm, igus, Kawasaki, Knapp, Lapp, Lenze, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Phoenix Contact, Pepperl+Fuchs, Rittal, SAP, Schaeffler, Schneider Electric, Schunk, SEW-EURODRIVE, SICK, Siemens, Software AG, Still, Toyota Materials Handling, Wago, Weidmüller and Yaskawa.

Köckler says: “The entire industrial sector is represented at Hannover Messe, so visitors can experience end-to-end production and supply processes, from product development to production, plus everything they need for new, data-driven business models.

“This integrated focus is important, because the transition to smart factories will not be possible without close integration of production and logistics.”

Main picture: Entrance to the trade venue at Hannover Fair

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