2026/02/27 Hannover Messe
At Hannover Messe 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) in industry will become concrete. This trade show will demonstrate how manufacturing companies can benefit from AI in a practical and application-oriented way. With new exhibitors, a new theme structure, an optimized visitor guide, new networking formats, and a consistent focus on AI, the trade show shows how today’s challenges can be turned into tangible competitive advantages, while providing even greater orientation and value for businesses and visitors.
Global competition, increasing cost pressures, and rapid technological innovation are presenting the manufacturing industry with the greatest transformational challenges in history. At this stage of change, companies need a platform to present their innovations and translate them into real-world applications. Hannover Messe 2026 will do just this by showing how AI, automation, digitization, energy systems and research interact to ensure sustainable competitiveness.
Industrial AI is becoming a central driver of innovation and growth. Analyze production data in real-time to optimize processes and enable intelligent and adaptive control of production workflows. This delivers measurable efficiency gains, increased productivity and more conscious use of resources, while also opening up new data-driven business models and the potential for further value creation.
“Now is the time to act and continue to invest in new technologies. Those who boldly invest in AI, automation and digital systems today are laying the foundations for breakthroughs in efficiency, resilience and sustainable competitiveness,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Messe AG. “Hannover Messe is a platform where visitors can experience concrete AI applications and learn how to leverage AI to improve productivity through direct interaction with exhibitors.”
At Hannover Messe 2026, physics AI will also play a central role for the first time. This refers to AI systems that interact directly with the physical world, such as machines, plants, and robots. “In this way, AI brings productivity to bear in factories, especially in industrial and humanoid robots. We will experience this impressively at the robot exhibitor’s booth at Hannover Messe,” added Keckler.
Around 3,500 companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical and digital industries, and energy sectors will present solutions for current and future production and energy supply, with AI playing a central role.
Exhibitors include global technology companies such as AWS, Microsoft, SAP, Schneider Electric and Siemens, as well as mid-sized technology leaders such as Beckhoff, Festo, HARTING, ifm, LAPP, Phoenix Contact, Rittal, Schaeffler and SEW. Renowned research institutes such as Fraunhofer and KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) will outline tomorrow’s industrial solutions, while more than 200 start-ups from various technology fields will present their innovations.
New exhibitors in robotics, automation and AI
The long list of new exhibitors shows how strongly robotics, automation and artificial intelligence are converging at the trade show.
Rockwell Automation returns to Hannover Messe for the first time in several years. The American company is one of the world’s leading providers of automation and digitalization solutions, joining the ranks of industry giants such as Siemens. There are also exciting additions to robotics. Innovative company Agile Robots is exhibiting for the first time at Hannover Messe, showcasing both industrial and humanoid robot systems that clearly demonstrate the direction of intelligent automation.
DMG Mori is also participating in this fair for the first time. The internationally leading machine tool manufacturer will use its debut to showcase current developments in connected manufacturing, digital twins, and automated production solutions. Bosch Connected Industry will also be exhibiting for the first time, presenting practical IoT and AI solutions for industrial applications, from intelligent maintenance and connected production processes to database services.
Another new entrant, Schwarz Digits, specializes in sovereign digital solutions and focuses on building AI-supported secure data and cloud infrastructure for industrial applications and developing a strong AI ecosystem. Other notable new exhibitors include Jumo, Denso, Wandelbots, and German Edge Cloud.
New theme structure and optimized visitor guide
A key innovation was a review of the thematic structure, resulting in a new hole layout. For visitors, this means more direct direction. For exhibitors, it provides increased visibility within the relevant environment.
new network format
In addition to spatial realignment, Hannover Messe 2026 will focus even more on content depth through new knowledge and networking formats. Experts and users can exchange ideas about specific challenges and solutions in a practical way. Whether it’s master classes, roundtables, expert stages or matchmaking, the new offering positions the fair as a central venue for business, innovation and networking.
new center stage
The new center stage will bring together leading figures from industry, politics and research to discuss concrete solutions for the future of the industry.
Cedric Neike, Member of the Board of Management of Siemens AG, emphasizes the role of automation, industrial AI and digital infrastructure for competitive industrial companies. Entrepreneur Verena Pausder is driving the strengthening of the culture of innovation and the startup ecosystem in Germany and Europe. Renowned futurist Amy Webb analyzes technology megatrends and shows how companies can strategically prepare for disruptive developments. Accenture CEO Julie Sweet talks about transforming global organizations through AI, cloud, and data-driven business models. Federal Minister for Digital Karsten Wildberger speaks about digital sovereignty and performance as framework conditions for innovation in Europe. Finally, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger assesses the importance of industrial performance from the perspective of security, geopolitics and technological independence.
New topic area: Defense Production Park
The new Defense Production Park will demonstrate how the latest production technologies can meet security-critical manufacturing requirements while maintaining a high degree of scalability. Companies in the defense industry face similar challenges to other industrial sectors, but they must rapidly expand their production capacity in response to geopolitical “tipping points.” The focus is on how to achieve this without compromising security and quality.
Top-level politics and partner country Brazil
High-level political delegations from Europe and around the world are expected to return in 2026, and this year’s focus will be on partner country Brazil. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva officially open the expo, underscoring the growing strategic importance of German-Brazilian relations.
Given the current geopolitical situation, Brazil, and South America as a whole, is becoming increasingly important as a reliable trade and industrial partner for Germany and Europe. Joint projects on supply chain diversification, access to raw materials, industry and climate change are becoming increasingly important.
In addition to international delegations, key representatives of German politics will also be present, including Research Minister Dorothee Baer and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Further high-level delegations from Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa are expected to attend, underscoring the global importance of Hannover Messe for industrial, technological and geopolitical exchanges.
“Our cooperation with Brazil is more than trade, it is a strategic alliance,” Koechler emphasizes. “Especially in times of global tension, we must rely on reliable partners. Hannover Messe provides the ideal platform for building such relationships.”
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