HANNOVERMESSE 2024 is taking place in a challenging political and economic environment. For this very reason, the event aims to provide impetus that will point the way to efficient and sustainable production.
8 weeks before the start of the event, from 22 to 26 April, the organiser, representatives of this year's guest country Norway and a selection of exhibitors gave an outlook on the trade fair.
“Geopolitical tensions, climate change, stagnating growth, high prices for energy and a shortage of skilled workers mean that cost discipline and efficiency are currently the dominant themes in companies. At the same time, artificial intelligence is leading to profound changes in the worlds of work in industry. In addition, business leaders and trade associations are warning of a de-industrialization of Europe,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG, describing the environment in which this year's HANNOVER MESSE takes place.
“HANNOVER MESSE is more important than ever this year, because the economic environment has rarely been so volatile. In Hannover, technologies and solutions will be presented to enable industry to produce on a competitive and sustainable basis. The trade fair will be all about intelligent and carbon-neutral production, AI, hydrogen, and cross-sector energy solutions. For European companies in particular, HANNOVER MESSE will thus create a bulwark against the impending de-industrialization of Europe,” says Köckler. “Our exhibitors will show that competitive industrial production is possible in Europe. However, this will require a regulatory framework that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship.”
The solutions to today's industrial problems lie in the interplay between automation, digitalisation and electrification. Products and solutions will be presented by a total of 4,000 exhibitors. Under the motto "Pioneering the Green Industrial Transition", this year's partner country Norway will present important building blocks for achieving the goals of sustainable, competitive industrial production in Europe in the two special areas in Halls 12 and 13. According to Laila Stengseng, Norway's Ambassador to Germany, the country's presence at the fair is intended to underline its claim to play a key role in developing solutions in the fields of renewable energies, CO2-neutral production, carbon capture and the digitalisation of industry.
The fair will be opened on 21 April by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz together with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Numerous other politicians, from German Vice-Chancellor Dr Robert Habeck to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will use the event to exchange ideas and information on the spot. In total, more than 300 economic policy delegations are expected to attend.
In addition to the major automation players such as Siemens and Schneider Electric, German Mittelstand such as Festo, Beckhoff, LAPP, Harting and Pepperl+Fuchs will also be represented, as well as the major players in the digital sector such as AWS and Microsoft. The trade fair will be a platform for exchange between the various sectors of the industry on digitalisation, sustainability and the use of artificial intelligence, especially in its generative form.
Dr Fabian Bause, AI specialist and TwinCAT product manager at Beckhoff, explained his view of artificial intelligence in a presentation: "We all have to step out of our comfort zone when it comes to this topic. Because the topic of artificial intelligence will affect everyone and all disciplines. It is a method of automation to achieve something and to automate processes. So AI is not something that stands alone, it is a tool that we can use to automate processes, software or even actual physical machines. Artificial intelligence is becoming a tool for optimising production in the field of tension between product quality and resource conservation.
One of the many different areas in which Beckhoff is working with manufacturers to advance the use of artificial intelligence is software and control for wind turbines.
Another important focus of the trade fair, not only in the context of the guest country Norway, is the topic of green hydrogen.
A total of over 500 exhibitors will be presenting their contribution to the topic.
You want to be part of the action? Follow the link to the registration page of HANNOVERMESSE for your free ticket.
