Hannover Messe 2024: A recap

Canada made a significant stride at the 2024 Hannover Messe Show by expanding its presence from one pavilion last year to four this year.  This expansion demonstrated Canada’s commitment to manufacturing excellence and built excitement for next year’s show, when Canada will be the partner country. With over 80 Canadian exhibitors showcasing their products and innovations, Canada demonstrated its potential on the global stage in the historic major trade crossing point – Hannover, Germany.

Hannover Messe is more than your average trade show. As a state event, it pulls in leading experts, executives, innovators and government officials from across the globe to accelerate all sectors of advanced manufacturing. Hannover Messe kicked off with the theme “Energizing a Sustainable Industry,” featuring prominent figures such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, reflecting Norway’s role as this year’s partner country. The opening ceremony at the Congress Center drew thousands of attendees, which was followed by an engaging networking reception.

Monday marked the official opening of the fair, featuring an impressive lineup of 4,000 exhibiting companies and drawing over 130,000 attendees. With more than 14,000 products and solutions on display, business transactions began quickly on the show floor. One of our exhibitors reported selling to the second person he spoke with – surprise, surprise, a Canadian buyer. It was no surprise to see Canadians actively engaging in partnerships and networking throughout the exhibition floor.

Canada made its mark in four halls across the Hannover Messe show; Hall 7: Automation, Motion and Drives, Hall 12: EV Mobility, Hall 13: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells and Hall 17: the Digital Hall, which had two large LED screens casting live streams and large lounge area made it a regular stop for attendees of the show. The Livestream stage, which quickly became known as “Jay’s Cabin” in Hall 7, hosted a rotation of insightful presenters, making it a vibrant and happening spot at the Messe.

Fostering partnerships and connections is what Hannover Messe is about. Whether it be a large OEM looking for a key supplier or a small SME with a unique solution, the magic of Hannover Messe happens by meeting the right person at the right time. Here’s a tale worth remembering from Hall 12. EV Mobility Nano One’s Adam Johnson shared he almost stepped away from a person showing interest at his booth but he decided to approach them and met a Tier 1 automotive company looking for exactly what he offered. One conversation might be worth millions.

NGen also hosted a delegation led by Bridget Bohan, director of Cluster Accelerator at NGen. Her wonderful stories are worth the mention on their own. The tour of the Schunk Pavilion was a major highlight. Schunk was honoured with the HERMES AWARD at the opening ceremony on April 21, 2024, in recognition of an innovative AI-based project.

It is hard to relay the size and scope of such an event. You have to experience it to understand the full scope of it. One thing is certain, now is the time to start planning for next year. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity as Canada will not be the partner country again for decades. One notable challenge of the Hannover Messe is the limited availability of hotel rooms to accommodate such a significant event. This underscores the importance of early planning and booking accommodations well in advance. With over 200 Canadian exhibitors expected and an additional 400 attendees navigating the floor in 2025, these figures likely represent a conservative estimate.

The NGen team was thrilled to help make new connections at the five-day trade show and showcase an amazing group of exhibitors at the Canada Pavilions.

The following Canadian companies showcased their technologies at Hannover Messe this year:

• Exhibitors Canada Pavilion Hall 7 Automation, Motion & Drives: ASAsoft, Ayrton Energy, Black Controls, Ethos Automation, Government of Alberta, Government of Manitoba, Invest in Hamilton, KeepWise, Maple Advanced Robotics Inc., Maya HTT, Mecademic, Micro Engineering Tech inc (METI), Nanoprecise, Panevo Services Limited, Prodevco Robotic Solution, RoboTape, Sarcomere, SolarOptim, Synode, University of Toronto, and Zerokey.
• Exhibitors Canada Pavilion Hall 17 Digital: 4D1, AIOT, Basetwo, Boardera Software, Canada Makes, La Chaise Bleu, Deep Tech Canada, Digital, DOT Automation, IMCN, McRae Imaging, OneWAY Automation, Liveline, Prevu3D, Remap, Scale AI, Shoplogix, Soralink, Star Solutions, The Fundry, Untether AI, VKS, and Vooban, Zea.
• Exhibitors Canada Pavilion Hall 12 EV Mobility: Accelerate, Calogy Solutions, E3 Lithium, Exro, Nacora Insurance Brokers Ltd., Nano One, Saskatchewan Research (SRC), Trunexa, University of Windsor
• Exhibitors Canada Pavilion Hall 13 Hydrogen & Fuel Cell: Awesense, Blue-O Technology Inc., Greenlight Innovation, Illuming Power Inc, Intertek, Momentum Materials Solutions, Powertech Labs, Red River College, CHFCA, The Six Tech, Triple Point Resources, UBC Okanagan, and Vancouver Community College.

A great show awaits us in 2025!