Opportunities in Industrial Transformation
Published on : Thursday 26-12-2019
Hannover Messe 2020 (20-24 April) will coincide with a period of rapid technological change, ripe for industrial transformation.
It is the world’s leading trade show for industrial technology, an annual event held in April at the Hannover Fairgrounds in Germany. Under the lead theme of ‘Industrial Transformation’, the 2020 edition of Hannover Messe will spotlight all the latest trends and topics, such as Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, 5G and smart logistics.
The global industrial sector is in the midst of a period of major change, driven primarily by the megatrends of digitisation, individualisation and climate protection. At the same time, it is grappling with some very challenging economic and political fundamentals. “The world is embarking on a period of change, the likes of which we haven’t seen for a long time,” says Dr Jochen Köckler, Chairman, Deutsche Messe Managing Board. “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.
New layout and updated programme
At a media briefing organised recently by Hannover Milano Fairs India Pvt Ltd, the India office representing the organisers, Deutsche Messe, Geeta Bisht, Director – HMFI, highlighted the changes that will be seen in the new exhibition layout. Ms Divya Lad, Project Manager, presented an overview of the 2020 edition.
The changes were in the offing for some time and Dr Jochen Köckler had explained after the 2019 edition of the show in April this year. “Hannover Messe is a globally recognised brand,” he had said then. “To further enhance it, we will no longer market the show with sub-brands such as CeMAT, Digital Factory or IAMD. Our new hall plan reflects Hannover Messe as the driver of industrial transformation with a clear focus on the key themes in the core sectors.”
The revamped format at the show will feature six display categories:
- Automation, Motion & Drives in Halls 2 to 13 – covers factory, process and energy automation; mechanical and electrical power transmission and fluid power; robotics; industrial sensor technology and image processing; transformers; energy management; logistics automation; and warehousing technology
- Digital Ecosystems in Halls 14 to 17 – focuses on digital integration and applications for industry, encompassing such topics as business software, PLM, MES, logistics IT, digital platforms and cloud solutions, IT security, augmented and virtual reality, energy management solutions, artificial intelligence, and 5G infrastructure
- Energy Solutions in Halls 11, 12, 13 and 27 – the theme here is efficient, climate-neutral energy supply for industrial buildings and plants as well as connected mobility infrastructures
- Engineered Parts & Solutions in Halls 19, 20, 22, and 23 – the clearinghouse for future-defining themes such as lightweight construction, additive manufacturing, surface technology, material-specific components, fastening systems, and engineering services
- Future Hub in Halls 21 and 24 – the focus here will be on R&D, startups, emerging technologies, innovation culture, and the future of work.
- Logistics in Halls 2, 3 and 4 – this encompasses material flow and warehousing technology; warehouse and factory equipment; industrial trucks and accessories; automated guided vehicles; packaging technology; and logistics services.
The meeting was attended by Mukesh Samtani, Assistant Director, EEPC India, the organisation that facilitates the participation of Indian industry in general, SMEs in particular, at the event. Sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, EEPC India is a premier trade and investment promotion organisation, which caters to the Indian engineering sector. As an advisory body it actively contributes to the policies of Government of India and acts as an interface between the engineering industry and the Government. Set up in 1955, EEPC India now has a membership base of over 13,000 out of whom 60% are SMEs.
With approximately 100 confirmed participants from India, and still more than 4 months to go, about 125 companies from the India are expected to be present at Hannover Messe 2020, a large chunk under ‘India Pavilions’ in various halls. The EEPC helps SME participation with incentives and most of these confirm participation only during the closing stages of the booking process.
Global participation
As Dr Jochen Köckler emphasises, Hannover Messe is a globally recognised brand with two thirds of exhibitors and one third of visitors coming from outside of Germany. Approximately 95 per cent of visitors are trade professionals. In 2019, roughly eight per cent of visitors (17,300) and 28 per cent of exhibitors (1,715) came from Asia.
More than 6,000 exhibiting companies from 70 countries and more than 200,000 visitors from 80 countries are expected to participate in 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.
The event will be staged from 20 to 24 April 2020 in Hannover, Germany, with Indonesia as its official Partner Country.
Hannover Messe is organised by Deutsche Messe AG, one of the world’s foremost organisers of capital goods trade fairs, which ranks among Germany’s top five tradeshow producers. The company’s portfolio features such world-class events as (in alphabetical order): didacta (education), Domotex (carpets and other floor coverings), Interschutz (fire prevention, disaster relief and safety & security), Labvolution (lab technology) and Ligna (woodworking and wood processing tools, equipment and machinery).