Top grades for HANNOVER MESSE 2007

Attendance up more than 10 percent Investment plans worth billions of euros initiated Consolidation of status as world’s leading technology convention Exhibitors delighted with results TectoYouth popular among young visitors

Once again HANNOVER MESSE (the Hannover Fair) more than lived up to its reputation as the world’s leading technology event. There was an upbeat mood in every exhibition hall, accompanied by a tangible willingness to invest. Representatives of all the key industrial sectors were at the show to align themselves in this extremely dynamic environment and firm up their plans for the deployment of new technology and production processes. With record statistics and a large quantity of the latest products and processes, HANNOVER MESSE exceeded all exhibitor and visitor expectations, underscoring its status as an innovations platform for the global marketplace.

“HANNOVER MESSE has again given the economy a shot in the arm by stimulating capital investment worth billions of euros. All sectors were clearly feeling more upbeat about the future and ready for the challenges and opportunities lying ahead,” said Deutsche Messe Board Chairman Sepp D. Heckmann. “HANNOVER MESSE has confirmed its role as the world’s leading technology event in no uncertain terms. This show is an essential export driver for the German economy.”

HANNOVER MESSE plays a crucial role in keeping German industry in touch with developments in international markets, as borne out by representatives of leading industrial associations:

Jürgen R. Thumann, President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI): “The strong international demand for innovative German products was again confirmed at HANNOVER MESSE. To translate this tangible upswing in the German economy into higher long-term growth rates requires the appropriate economic policy — a policy of structural reform.”

Dr. Hannes Hesse, Director of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA): “HANNOVER MESSE 2007 has further enhanced an already upbeat mood in the German engineering industry, as the orders keep flowing in. For our sector, HANNOVER MESSE has become a meeting place where we can discuss technology, future production processes and innovation trends with customers from around the world.”

Gotthard Grass, Director of the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI): “For the vast majority of enterprises in the electrical engineering and electronics industry, the high expectations in HANNOVER MESSE 2007 were definitely fulfilled.”

Attendance up

The total attendance figures of over 230,000 visitors — up more than 10 percent on the last directly comparable year, 2005 — was an outstanding result for HANNOVER MESSE. Attendance from Germany was up 12 percent, with the volume of visitors from outside Germany up eight percent. Visitors from abroad represented around 30 percent of total attendance, with the biggest increases in foreign participation coming from the Americas and eastern Europe. Apart from Germany, the top six countries in terms of visitor attendance were India, the Netherlands, Turkey, Sweden, Denmark and Italy. In terms of domestic visitors, attendance from the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg was up 14 percent over the previous event. With regard to industries, the biggest visitor increases were registered in the fields of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering & electronics, and the food and beverage industry. With around 73,000 first-time visitors in all, this year’s HANNOVER MESSE succeeded in reaching many new target groups. The number of decision-makers who play a role in purchasing decisions was up by 30 percent to some 21,000.

For 42 percent of visitors, the main motivation for coming to the show was the desire to catch up on the latest developments — again confirming HANNOVER MESSE’s unique position as the world’s leading platform for innovative technologies. A total of approximately 5.5 million business contacts were made over the five days of the show. Visitors rated the comprehensive and international market coverage as well as the presence of market leaders as being the main strengths of HANNOVER MESSE.

Gateway to the global market

The rate of international participation among exhibitors was even stronger than for visitors. Out of the 6,400 exhibitors at this year’s event, 3,222 came from abroad — from 68 different countries. This put the international turnout at over 50 percent; the highest figure in the 60-year history of HANNOVER MESSE. Europe was the main exhibitor continent, followed by Asia and the Americas. Apart from Germany, the year’s main exhibitor nations were Italy, China and Turkey (this year’s Partner Country). HANNOVER MESSE is the gateway to global markets for enterprises from around the world. Hannover, Germany is where globalization becomes reality.

Focus on energy efficiency

The core themes chosen for HANNOVER MESSE 2007 proved to be right on target. By placing a major emphasis on energy technologies, industrial automation, power transmission and cutting-edge R&D, this year’s show once again held an accurate mirror to the very latest market trends and illuminated the many advances which are now taking shape just over the horizon.

As a theme of pivotal importance throughout industry, energy efficiency drew a lot of discussion and figured prominently in a great many exhibits and special displays at the show. The responsible and efficient use of energy was the common denominator for exhibitors and visitors alike. The flagship “Energy” fair put a major spotlight on everything related to renewable and conventional forms of energy, underscoring its role as the world’s most comprehensive showcase for the sector. Industry representatives made good use of this opportunity for dialogue, both in the exhibition halls and in many parallel forums and conferences, foremost among which was the World Energy Dialogue, where an international elite group of energy industry players, politicians and R&D experts debated approaches to boosting energy efficiency. The experts concluded that global initiatives are the only way to effectively address the challenges we are facing today. Only by means of a concerted effort on the part of everyone involved and the use all available technological resources can opportunities for energy savings be leveraged in pursuit of a viable balance between growth, prosperity and climate protection. According to Deutsche Messe Board Chairman Sepp D. Heckmann, “The clear conclusion from the World Energy Dialogue is that industry offers us all the tools, technology and know-how we need to devise long-term strategies for climate protection and achieve a turnaround, thus ensuring a climate-friendly energy supply.”

Energy efficiency was also a key topic in area of the show devoted to power transmission: The Motion, Drive & Automation show highlighted advances and innovations for optimal energy usage in electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic drive applications. Efficient drive systems cut costs, which is a guiding light in today’s purchasing decisions. The focus on increased efficiency also carries through to the automation sector, where the hot topics involve communication and safety. Live presentations on process automation also attracted keen interest. In terms of innovative R&D, there was a strong emphasis on new composites with special material and surface properties, as well as on adaptronics and bionics. HANNOVER MESSE speeds up the technology transfer process by putting industry in touch with pioneering ideas.

Successful start for young talent initiative

TectoYouth is a new education and information program that aims to get young people enthusiastic about technology. This joint initiative between Deutsche Messe, the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and other prominent supporters from the corporate sector, associations and political circles proved a great success in its very first year. Groups of schoolchildren from throughout Germany took the opportunity to get a first-hand look at the very latest in technology, and to discover prospects for careers in engineering and related fields. “We are delighted at the enthusiasm and detailed interest being shown by our young guests,” commented Deutsche Messe Board Chairman Sepp D. Heckmann. “These young people are crucial for Germany’s future as a high-tech nation. We need them, and intend to keep enhancing and expanding the TectoYouth program.”

TectoYouth was also met with a very favorable response on the part of contributing exhibitors. Several firms even chartered buses to bring young people to Hannover, for example Bosch-Rexroth (1,600 pupils), Kaeser (550), Siemens (500) and Rittal (450). The initiative attracted a strong groundswell of support across the board. In the words of Dietmar Harting, Managing Director of Harting KGaA and Chairman of the HANNOVER MESSE Exhibitors’ Committee: “The Exhibitors’ Committee was delighted to see that the message had really come across, with signs of the event’s success in evidence far beyond Hall 11. There were young people everywhere, throughout the halls and stands. Personally I was particularly impressed by their marked curiosity in the technologies on exhibit. Fielding all their interesting questions kept us quite busy, indeed.”

World’s largest technology convention

As the world’s leading technology event, HANNOVER MESSE provides an ideal platform for dialogue between policy-makers and industry. The event was opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, representing this year’s Partner Country. Other political VIPs included numerous German government figures, including federal and state ministers, state minister-presidents and local politicians. All of them were in Hannover to talk with exhibitors and get a first-hand look at the latest innovations on show. The fair also attracted many high-ranking politicians and delegations from other countries around the world, including representatives from almost all the affluent industrial nations.

This year’s HANNOVER MESSE included over 1,000 individual events, making it the world’s largest technology convention. One of the standout events involved the German-Turkish Business Summit, which attracted over 800 participants. Fresh momentum for further bilateral and international economic relations was also generated by the Siberia Business Symposium, the German-Ukrainian Business Symposium, the German-Japanese Business Forum and the 4th Lower Saxony Foreign Trade Symposium, featuring representatives of the African Mediterranean coastal states. The fourth WomenPower special symposium was another resounding success, with over 550 participants debating topics such as the reconciliation of career and family interests, the work-life balance and new working models.

Turkey as this year’s Partner Country

Turkey was the official Partner Country this year, presenting itself as a technology and trading partner for international industry with strong innovation skills. HANNOVER MESSE 2007 featured a total of 326 exhibitors from Turkey. The arrangement of having a central pavilion in Hall 26, supported by other national pavilions in the various technology sectors at HANNOVER MESSE, proved highly effective, enabling Turkish exhibitors to be present in every part of the fair. This partnership was seen as extremely important for both economies. VIP guests from Turkish political, industrial and business circles included Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coºkun and Energy Minister Mehmet Hilmi Güler.

Prospects for 2008

HANNOVER MESSE will continue to focus on the theme of energy efficiency in 2008. As a logical extension of the “Energy” and “Pipeline Technology” international flagship shows, next year will feature a new specialist fair on Power Plant Technology. The new event will focus on the rapidly growing market of component suppliers to medium-sized local power stations.