networking formats, delivering even greater depth of content. This allows experts and users to exchange ideas on specific challenges and their solutions in a hands-on way. From masterclasses and expert forums to matchmaking and the Center Stage, the new offerings cement the fair’ s role as a central hub for business, innovation, and networking.
The Center Stage brings together leading minds from industry, politics, and science. Through keynotes and panel discussions, it will address the major questions of our time: How can we achieve the breakthrough to carbon-neutral production? What role does AI play in industrial value creation? And how can Europe and its partners secure their technological sovereignty?
On stage, companies from the automotive, food, furniture, and chemical industries, among others, will provide insights into their factories – demonstrating how they conceptualize and successfully implement automation,
AI is a common thread running through all exhibition areas, and plays a central role at virtually every stand.
digitalization, and energy efficiency in their production operations.
New thematic area: Defense Production Park
The new Defense Production Park will showcase how modern production technology meets the requirements of security-critical manufacturing while remaining highly scalable. Companies in the defense industry face challenges similar to other industrial sectors, but the new geopolitical era demands they rapidly scale up their capacities in the shortest of time. This new exhibition theme focuses on how companies can achieve this without compromising their security and quality.
Köckler:“ With the Defense Production Park, we are for the first time creating a dedicated platform to demonstrate how automation, digitalization, and scalability interact in this sensitive environment.”
Partner country Brazil: A strategically important growth partner
Brazil, Latin America’ s largest economy, will take center stage at HANNOVER MESSE 2026. The country offers vast potential – from green energy and raw materials right through to a fast-growing industrial market. More than 1,500 German companies are already active there, accounting for around ten percent of Brazil’ s industrial output.
“ Working with Brazil goes beyond trade – it’ s a strategic partnership,” says Köckler. In times of global tension, dependable partners are all the more essential. HANNOVER MESSE is the ideal platform to strengthen these ties.”
For further information, please visit www. hannovermesse. de / en /
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