By: Neha Basudkar Ghate
Consulting Editor
HANNOVER MESSE, the world’s leading industrial trade fair, is set to return from March 31 to April 4, 2025, in Hannover, Germany. Marking its 70th anniversary, the event will spotlight the theme, “Industrial Transformation,” bringing together more than 4,000 exhibitors across big data, data analysis or cloud computing, Artificial intelligence, machine learning, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, digital industries, and the energy sector. This year, the focus will be on demonstrating how electrification, digitization, and automation can pave the way for a climate-neutral, high-performance industrial ecosystem.
In preparation for the event, a press briefing was held on December 5, 2024, at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Colaba, Mumbai. The briefing revealed that Canada will take center stage as the Partner Country for Hannover Messe 2025. Canada will showcase its industrial strength with a strong emphasis on automation, energy, digital transformation, and green technology. Over 200 Canadian companies are expected to participate, highlighting the nation’s talent, innovation, and commitment to sustainable solutions on a global platform.
Exhibitors including Accenture, Aleph Alpha, Altair, Autodesk, AWS, Capgemini, DELL, Google Cloud, Ericsson, Hexagon, Formlabs, HPE, Microsoft, PTC and SAP will show how these digital ecosystems work, both on their stands as well on the Digital Transformation Conference Stage, the new knowledge platform at HANNOVER MESSE.
Main Exhibition Sections
HANNOVER MESSE 2025 will host several dedicated exhibition zones, each addressing critical industrial trends:
-Smart Manufacturing
-Digital Ecosystems
-Energy for Industry
-Compressed Air & -Vacuum Technology
-Engineered Parts & Solutions
-Future Hub and International Trade & Investment
A conversation with Hubertus von Monschaw
Speaking about the event, Hubertus von Monschaw, Global Director of Trade Fair and Product Management at Hannover Messe, reflected on the fair’s transformation over the decades. He noted how the event has evolved from its origins in mechanical engineering to embrace digitalization, AI, and sustainability. In conversation with Neha Basudkar Ghate, Monschaw emphasized that HANNOVER MESSE continues to be a key platform for global industry leaders, adapting to rapid technological advancements and addressing critical global issues.
Q 1: Hannover Messe 2025 is focused on Industry 4.0, engineering, startups, and many other such . However, as you mentioned, the event is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Can you share how the journey of Hannover Messe has evolved over the years? What pivotal changes have taken place over these seven decades?
Hubertus von Monschaw: Hannover Messe, as a traditional event, has indeed undergone significant changes over the years. It’s always reflected the transformations happening in the industry. When the event began, it was very much centered around mechanical engineering, but over time, it has adapted to the changing needs of the industry. We’re increasingly focusing on digitalization. For example, topics like Industry 4.0 started gaining prominence, and now we see artificial intelligence becoming a key theme. This evolution is something we see happening year after year, and I’m quite positive that in the next decades, we will witness even more major shifts in the industry.
Q 2: Speaking of transformations, sustainability has become a central theme in industries worldwide. How does sustainability play a role in product management or development strategies, especially when considering the relationship between Germany and India?
Hubertus von Monschaw: Sustainability is indeed a game changer. It’s a global necessity, and it’s crucial that we develop technology that supports sustainability. A big part of this is circular economy practices. We can bring these ideas to markets like India, where the potential for implementing such technologies is huge. I believe that technology developed in Germany can be transferred to India and vice versa, especially when we consider the rapid development in IT and tech sectors in India. This collaboration has the potential to boost not only technological advancements but also play a major role in advancing sustainability globally. However, we are still at the beginning of this journey.
Q 3: That’s an interesting point about the collaboration between Germany and India. Given that, where do you see sustainability playing a more pivotal role—within the German market or in India?
Hubertus von Monschaw: It’s still early days, but both markets have tremendous potential. In Germany, we are making steady progress with sustainability initiatives, and India’s growing capacity in IT and technology makes it an ideal partner to accelerate this progress. If we collaborate more closely, we can see great strides in implementing sustainable practices. Both countries bring different strengths to the table, and combining them can only accelerate the global push for sustainability.
Q 4: Moving on to the evolution of trade fairs—how do you see the role of trade fairs changing in the context of increased digitalization and hybrid events?
Hubertus von Monschaw: This is a very tricky question, and the pandemic really highlighted this challenge. While digital platforms have their advantages, there’s no substitute for personal interaction. We’ve all experienced digital trade fairs, and while they’ve been effective in their own way—some even calling them the best digital trade fairs—it’s clear that the personal meeting and direct contact are irreplaceable. People say it was great, but they’re also asking, ‘Please don’t do it again.’ There’s something about face-to-face engagement that is essential and cannot be fully replicated online.
Concluding insights
As the industrial world grapples with the need for sustainability and innovation, HANNOVER MESSE 2025 is set to serve as a global stage where industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers converge to shape the future of a more sustainable and interconnected world.