How change becomes growth

With its keynote theme of Industrial Transformation, HANNOVER MESSE 2020 focuses on the opportunities

Dr. Jochen Köckler, Vorsitzender des Vorstands der Deutschen Messe AG # Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe

Four megatrends are changing the world: digitalization, individualization, climate protection, and demographic change. Industry is facing a big design task. The current economic and political climates pose additional challenges that make it difficult to maintain reliable partnerships.

HANNOVER MESSE shows global industry the way forward. “The way we live, produce things and work is undergoing extremely rapid change,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe. “The manufacturing industry is in the driver’s seat. The challenge is to take the wheel and shape the change. At HANNOVER MESSE 2020, some 5500 exhibiting companies will show how transformation can be positive, and how change can spark growth and progress.”

In today’s world, growth is built on data, and thanks to digitalization, the volume of data generated in industrial production processes is growing exponentially. Our ability to extract meaning from these data and turn them into profit is also growing. Today’s industrial technology solutions are interconnected. Machines and systems communicate and share information with each other autonomously, while software takes care of the documentation, monitoring and simulation. This data revolution is driving efficiency and is the prerequisite for machine learning and artificial intelligence.

This year’s HANNOVER MESSE will see the return of the 5G testbed infrastructure that premiered last year. Network equipment providers and users use the testbed to demonstrate the kinds of functionality that the new mobile telephony standard will be able to deliver.

The climate debate currently taking place in society is helping with this by adding further momentum to the development of sustainable advanced technologies and carbon-neutral business models. Whatever form these technologies and business models take – whether smart solutions for energy, circular economy models or lightweight design – the resulting gains in terms of resource conservation, energy efficiency and process optimization will do more than merely counter climate change; they will be good for business as well. That is why one of the key messages of HANNOVER MESSE 2020 is that climate protection and forward-looking industrial policies are two inseparable sides of the same coin.

Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies span both infrastructure and industrial applications and are steadily gaining ground in the alternative energy mix. For many years at HANNOVER MESSE, the international “Hydrogen + Fuel Cells EUROPE” showcase has been a key driver of growth in the hydrogen economy. This year the group exhibit boasts record participation, with more than 200 exhibiting companies from around the world. Visitors gain a comprehensive overview of energy generation and use, transport and mobility, and the interrelationships between the building-systems, manufacturing, transport, and energy sectors.

Every year, one country is spotlighted at the world’s leading industrial technology show: HANNOVER MESSE. In 2020, Indonesia is being featured as the show’s official Partner Country. The resource-rich country belongs to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and has the biggest economy within the group. The country launched the initiative “Making Indonesia 4.0” to revitalize manufacturing with the introduction of Industrie 4.0 concepts.