April 20: HANNOVER MESSE 2026 – The World's Leading Trade Fair for Industry

April 20-24, 2026 - HANNOVER MESSE. The world's leading trade fair for the manufacturing industry

AI at HANNOVER MESSE: Out of theory. Into application

April 20-24, 2026: 4 days at Hannover Messe (DEUTSCH)

Hanover. With HANNOVER MESSE 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) becomes tangible in industry. Practical and application-oriented, the trade fair demonstrates how manufacturing companies can profitably use AI. With new exhibitors, a new thematic structure, optimized visitor guidance, new networking formats, and a consistent focus on AI, the world's leading trade fair for the manufacturing industry clearly shows how concrete competitive advantages can be created from the challenges of our time – offering companies and visitors even more guidance and benefits.

Hanover City Hall – the dome is accessible by elevator, Photo: H. Waess (Archive)

Global competition, increasing cost pressure, and the rapid pace of technological innovation

present the manufacturing industry with the greatest transformation challenge in its history. In this phase of upheaval, companies need a platform that showcases technological innovations and translates them into concrete applications. HANNOVER MESSE 2026 fulfills precisely this role, demonstrating how AI, automation, digitalization, energy systems, and research interlock to ensure sustainable competitiveness.

Industrial AI is becoming a key driver of innovation and growth.

It analyzes production data in real time, optimizes processes, and enables intelligent, adaptive control of production workflows. This results in measurable efficiency gains, increased productivity, and a more conscious use of resources – while simultaneously opening up new data-driven business models and additional value creation potential for companies.



“Now is the time to act and invest consistently in new technologies. Those who boldly invest in AI, automation, and digital systems today are laying the foundation for leaps in efficiency, resilience, and sustainable competitiveness,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Deutsche Messe AG. “HANNOVER MESSE is the platform where visitors can experience concrete AI applications and learn, through direct interaction with exhibiting companies, how they can increase their productivity by using AI.”

At HANNOVER MESSE 2026, Physical AI will also play a central role for the first time.

This refers to AI systems that interact directly with the physical world—for example, in machines, systems, or robots.

“AI is thus becoming a productive force in the factory—especially with industrial and humanoid robots. We will experience this impressively at the robotics exhibitors’ booths at HANNOVER MESSE,” says Köckler.

HANNOVER MESSE is the world's leading trade fair for the manufacturing industry.

Around 3,500 exhibiting companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical and digital industries, and energy sectors gather there to present solutions for a competitive and sustainable industry. The main exhibition areas are Automation & Digitalization, Energy & Industrial Infrastructure, and Research & Technology Transfer. Artificial intelligence is a recurring theme throughout all exhibition areas. A diverse conference program complements the exhibition. The next HANNOVER MESSE will be held in Hanover from April 20 to 24, 2026. Brazil is the partner country.

HANNOVER MESSE 2026
April 20–24

Monday to Thursday,

• 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Friday,

• 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Exhibition Grounds
30521 Hannover

Further Informations: www.hannovermesse.de

 

Info: Press release from the organizer

Medientage München

Medientage München 2025 - Motto „WTFuture?!"

Die Medientage in München richten den Blick auf die Zukunft der Medienwelt

Medienfachleute stärken, Redaktionen mit Faktenfüchsen ausstatten, Fake-News, Desinformationen und Strategien in Social Media -Kanälen erkennen ...

München - #MTM25. Die Medientage München 2025 fanden von 22. bis 24. Oktober 2025 im House of Communication und umliegenden Münchner Werksviertel statt. Bei dieser europäischen Medienfachkonferenz gab es über 100 Sessions, Keynotes und exklusive Masterclasses. Am 22. Oktober 2025 waren Ministerpräsident Dr. Markus Söder und Medienminister Dr. Florian Herrmann bei der Eröffnung der Medientage München und warfen einen Blick in die Zukunft der Medienwelt in einer Zeit, die sich mit Blick auf KI, Algorithmen, Social Bots und Chatbots rasant verändert. Die Medientage München 2025 waren für den Journalismus wichtiger denn je. Ein Grund für uns zwei wichtige O-Töne von der Eröffnung der Veranstaltung  hier wiederzugeben. 

SZ-Zeppelin, Foto: Helga Waess (Cover Kunst-Kultur-Blog)

Der Bayerische Ministerpräsident Dr. Markus Söder lobte Bayern als vielfältigsten Medienstandort Deutschlands:

„Bayern ist der vielfältigste Medienstandort Deutschlands – hochinnovativ und dynamisch, von klassischem Journalismus bis zu digitalen Innovationen. Diese Vielfalt ist unsere Stärke. Medien sind Garant für freie Meinungsbildung und demokratische Teilhabe. Social Media dürfen wir nicht radikalen Kräften überlassen. Europa muss zum Weltmeister der Innovation werden. Nur durch eigene Stärke bleiben wir international konkurrenzfähig. Für einen fairen Wettbewerb auf Augenhöhe brauchen wir die richtige Balance zwischen Regulierung und Freiheit. Wir müssen entschieden gegen Fake News in den sozialen Medien vorgehen und den Einsatz von KI transparent kennzeichnen. Gleichzeitig wollen wir unsere eigene Technologie so stärken, dass wir technische Souveränität erreichen und eigene Standards setzen können.“

Dr. Florian Herrmann, Leiter der Staatskanzlei und Staatsminister für Bundesangelegenheiten und Medien, forderte verlässlichen Qualitätsjournalismus zur Orientierung in der Informationsflut:

„Bayern ist ein starker Medienstandort! Diese Woche trifft sich wieder die gesamte Branche bei den Medientagen München. Unter dem Motto ‚WTFuture?!‘ richten die Medientage den Blick auf die Zukunft der Medienwelt: Die rasante Transformation der Branche führt zu einer zunehmend fragmentierten Medienöffentlichkeit. Durch die unermessliche Informationsflut geraten auch demokratische Werte unter Druck. Polarisierende Inhalte verbreiten sich ungefiltert millionenfach. Bayern steht für eine starke und vielfältige Medienlandschaft, die wir weiter ausbauen und unterstützen. Medienvielfalt ist unverzichtbar für einen offenen, demokratischen Diskurs. Gerade mit Blick auf KI, Algorithmen, Social Bots und Chatbots, brauchen wir verlässlichen Qualitätsjournalismus als Orientierung in Zeiten wachsender Informationsflut und gezielter Desinformation. Allen Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmern einen erfolgreichen und anregenden Austausch bei den Medientagen in München!“

Weitere Artikel zu den Medientagen München 2025 im Kunst-Kultur-Blog

• KMedientage München 2025 - vom 22. bis 24. Oktober - AI Summit: WTFuture?! AI Visions for the Media of Tomorrow - KI als Co-Pilot und Mitbewerber - und die Zukunft des Journalismus

Exhibition: City in the Cloud - TUM Munich Exhibits

 TUM Architecture Museum at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich

Exhibition recommendation: All Digital? CITY IN THE CLOUD - DATA ON THE GROUND - Data Infrastructures from an Architectural and Political Perspective

DURATION: OCTOBER 16, 2025 TO MARCH 8, 2026 - TUM Architecture Museum at the Pinakothek der Moderne in the Munich Kunstareal (English, Italiano, Français, Deutsch)

Munich. The digital cloud is omnipresent: but where exactly is it? In the exhibition CITY IN THE CLOUD - DATA ON THE GROUND, the Pinakothek der Moderne goes on a search. The cloud appears in smartphones, laptops, smart home devices, car interfaces, and countless displays in urban spaces. Swipe and stream contain a vast and rapidly growing data infrastructure: data centers in cities and remote regions, submarine cables, and satellites. These mostly invisible structures determine our way of life, communication, and administration – while simultaneously consuming enormous amounts of land, energy, and raw materials. - A companion book will be published for the exhibition -

 

Pinakothek der Moderne in the Kunstareal in Munich, photo collage: Helga Waess (Pressefotoarchiv - Cover Kunst-Kultur-Blog)

 

Despite their far-reaching impact, data infrastructures are rarely discussed from an architectural or political perspective.

Architectural research can reveal these hidden material and political entanglements. The aim of the exhibition is to examine the cloud—from its historical origins to future possibilities—and to advocate for a more integrative approach to the design and planning of data infrastructures into social and political consciousness.

The exhibition is divided into three themes:

Elementary - Spatial - Temporal,

and unfolds around a series of key questions:

What does the digital cloud consist of?

The first chapter reveals the elements of the cloud. We peer deep into the ocean and trace the submarine cables that now transmit more than 95% of global communications. From the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable in the 19th century to today's global fiber optic networks, these infrastructures reveal geopolitical and colonial entanglements. Objects from the Deutsches Museum illustrate these histories from scientific and material perspectives.

The chapter also addresses data centers, which are evolving into new sites of power. Far from being neutral spaces, they consume enormous amounts of energy and fresh water and occupy increasingly larger areas. With the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI), the demand for new facilities is rising rapidly. The exhibition highlights their architectural presence, their political dimensions, and their ecological costs, with case studies from Germany and abroad, including the Munich Leibniz Supercomputing Center in Garching.

Digital Data – The New Currency?

Data has become the engine of new forms of extraction. The expansion of data economies depends on critical raw materials such as lithium, copper, cobalt, and tin. This chapter examines lithium and tin mining in particular, focusing on the impacts of this raw material extraction on local ecosystems and communities.

It addresses the battle for water rights in one of the largest lithium mines in Chile's Atacama Desert, as well as the ecological and social costs of tin mining on the Indonesian island of Bangka. It also examines efforts to secure lithium and other critical raw materials in Europe. By tracing these material flows, the exhibition addresses the true price we must pay for the data economy.

Is the city more than a computer?

The so-called smart city uses data to "optimize" and "manage" complexity. This section examines how urban environments are being transformed by digital systems and poses the question: What if data were used to empower citizens instead of serving surveillance capitalism? A case study developed in collaboration with Digital Twin Munich proposes data as a public infrastructure and a tool for civic engagement.


Furthermore, the exhibition explores the transformation of architectural practice through data modeling, machine learning, and AI, opening new debates about how data can transform the design, construction, and demolition of buildings.

Save or delete data?

Given the increasing demand for electricity, water, and enormous amounts of electronic waste, the decision about which data we keep and which we delete has become a political act. In an age of excessive backup and storage practices, the question of which data we preserve and under what conditions is more urgent than ever. Digital archives play a crucial role in shaping historical records, while AI training raises new questions about bias, access, and memory. Can we distinguish between noise and valuable information in this vast sea of ​​data? And can we ethically navigate "black boxes" and data biases?

This chapter encourages reflection on how data infrastructures influence our remembering and forgetting, and how architectural work is tied to digital systems. It asks how we might deal with data in the future, how we might separate ourselves from what is no longer needed, and how we might design beyond the logic of unlimited storage capacities.

PUBLICATION

A companion book will be published for the exhibition:

City in the Cloud – Data on the Ground: Architecture and Data,

edited by Cara Hähl-Pfeifer, Damjan Kokalevski, and Andres Lepik, published by ArchiTangle, Berlin (German: ISBN 978-3-9817790-6-6, English: ISBN 978-3-9817790-5-9; €58).

The book "City in the Cloud – Data on the Ground"

It brings together perspectives from architecture, media studies, technology, art, and political theory to illuminate the elementary, spatial, and temporal dimensions of data architectures.

The publication maps the social, ecological, and political impacts of ubiquitous digital connectivity and opens up spaces for a necessary rethinking of the use of raw materials, global justice, and long-term responsibility towards future generations.


With contributions from James Bridle, Giulia Bruno, Teresa Fankhänel, Cara Hähl-Pfeifer, Max Hallinan, Mél Hogan, Catherine Hyland, Damjan Kokalevski, Andres Lepik, Niklas Maak, Marija Marić, Anna-Maria Meister, Marina Otero Verzier, Trevor Paglen, Godofredo Enes Pereira, Andra Pop-Jurj, Alison Powell, Māra Starka, and Rafael Uriarte.

DATA TALKS

As part of the accompanying program, the museum is launching the Data Talks series—seven public conversations that will take place live and be published as a podcast. They bring together experts and the public to explore the themes of the exhibition in more depth.

Exhibition Dates

• November 6, 2025 – Exhuming Earth: European Lithium Futures (with Godofredo Pereira and Zinnwald Lithium)
• December 4, 2025 – Drawing Matters: Data Models in Architecture (with Michael Drobnik, Herzog & de Meuron, and Allplan)
• December 18, 2025 – Behind the Scenes: Narrating the Raw and the Overcooked (with the curatorial team)
• January 15, 2026 – Designing Data Spaces: LRZ Garching (with the Leibniz Supercomputing Center and Giulia Bruno)
• January 29, 2026 – Urban Data Governance (with the City of Munich, GeodatenService)
• February 19, 2026 – Digital Archives: Loss, Grievances, and Temporalities (with the KIT Professorship for Architectural Theory and saai, Archive for Architecture and Civil Engineering)
• March 5, 2026 – Closing event. The series concludes with the film screening "Building for Quantum" by Marina Otero Verzier.

 

 Quelle - Pressemitteilung: Pinakothek der Moderne 

BIG BANG AI Festival BERLINO 2025

Berlino - 11 e 12 settembre - Big Bang AI Festival 2025

Il BIG BANG AI Festival promuove "Rendiamo le città di medie dimensioni adatte al futuro!" - il più grande evento europeo dedicato all'intelligenza artificiale

Mercoledì 10 e giovedì 11 settembre 2025 - Il più grande evento europeo dedicato all'intelligenza artificiale all'Alte Münze di Berlino (Français, Deutsch, English, Italiano)

Berlino: BIG BANG AI Festival 2025: il più grande evento europeo dedicato all'intelligenza artificiale stabilirà nuovi standard. Il BIG BANG AI Festival sarà visitabile il 10 e l'11 settembre 2025. La sede scelta è stata la storica sede dell'"Alte Münze" nel quartiere Mitte di Berlino. Lo scorso anno, gli organizzatori hanno contato 6.000 partecipanti che hanno ascoltato circa 250 relatori sul tema dell'intelligenza artificiale (IA). Questo evento è stato concepito per essere la piattaforma centrale di scambio tra dirigenti, imprenditori, decisori, startup, fondatori e pionieri digitali.

Distretto governativo, Berlino - Foto: Helga Waess (Cover Kunst-Kultur-Blog - Pressefotoarchiv)

Al BIG BANG AI FESTIVAL, gli interessati potranno scoprire gli ultimi sviluppi nel campo dell'intelligenza artificiale

E: I visitatori potranno ottenere un certificato di intelligenza artificiale in loco.

Il programma è ampio e comprende interventi principali, panel e masterclass. Saranno affrontati temi come le tendenze digitali, il nuovo lavoro, la diversità e il settore sanitario.

PARTNERSHIP MEDIATICA CON NTV

Il canale di informazione NTV supporta il festival in qualità di media partner e garantirà una copertura completa. Grazie a dirette e interviste esclusive, i temi chiave del festival saranno accessibili a un vasto pubblico.

Dal 2021, il Big Bang Festival è organizzato e gestito dal marchio mediatico DUP UNTERNEHMER

DUP UNTERNEHMER Media raggiunge oltre 3,5 milioni di persone online, mobile, tramite carta stampata e social media - DUP Media GmbH...

La sede è l'Alte Münze (Vecchia Zecca) a Berlino-Mitte

L'Alte Münze (Vecchia Zecca) di Berlino è un complesso di edifici storici nel cuore della capitale, direttamente sul fiume Sprea. Un tempo utilizzato come zecca, il sito, di interesse storico, oggi funge da location creativa ed eventi. Con i suoi ampi padiglioni industriali, le affascinanti facciate in mattoni e le sale modernamente attrezzate, l'Alte Münze offre un'atmosfera unica per eventi, conferenze ed eventi culturali. Il suo mix di fascino storico e dinamismo urbano lo rende un punto di riferimento per l'innovazione e lo scambio.

Fonte: Comunicato stampa bigbangfestival.de

 

BIG BANG AI Festival BERLIN 2025

Berlin - September 11th and 12th - Big Bang AI Festival 2025

The BIG BANG AI Festival promotes "We're making medium-sized cities fit for the future!" - Europe's largest AI event

Wednesday, September 10th and Thursday, September 11th, 2025 - Europe's largest AI event at the Alte Münze in Berlin  (Français, Deutsch, English, Italiano)

Berlin: BIG BANG AI Festival 2025: Europe's largest AI event will set new standards. The BIG BANG AI Festival can be visited on September 10th and 11th, 2025. The historic premises of the "Alte Münze" in Berlin-Mitte were chosen as the venue. Last year, the organizers welcomed 6,000 participants who listened to around 250 speakers on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI). This event is designed to be the central platform for exchange between executives, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, startups, founders and digital pioneers.

Government district, Berlin - Photo: Helga Waess (Cover Art-Culture-Blog - Press Photo Archive)

At the BIG BANG AI FESTIVAL, interested parties can learn about the latest developments in artificial intelligence

AND: Visitors can earn an AI certificate on-site.

There is a wide-ranging program with keynotes, panels, and masterclasses. Topics such as digital trends, new work, diversity, and the healthcare industry will be explored.

MEDIA PARTNERSHIP WITH NTV

The news channel ntv is supporting the festival as a media partner and will ensure comprehensive coverage. Through live coverage and exclusive interviews, the festival's key themes will be accessible to a broad audience.

 

Since 2021, the Big Bang Festival has been organized and run by the media brand DUP UNTERNEHMER.

DUP UNTERNEHMER Media reaches over 3.5 million people online, mobile, via print, and social media - DUP Media GmbH...

The venue is the Alte Münze (Old Mint) in Berlin-Mitte.

The Alte Münze (Old Mint) in Berlin is a historic building complex in the heart of the capital, directly on the Spree River. Formerly used as a coin mint, the listed site now serves as a creative and event location. With its spacious industrial halls, charming brick facades, and modernly equipped rooms, the Alte Münze offers a unique atmosphere for events, conferences, and cultural events. Its mix of historic charm and urban dynamism makes it a hotspot for innovation and exchange.

Source: Press release bigbangfestival.de 

Munich celebrates! "Festival of the Future 2025" Free admission!

Munich's Big Family Festival: July 3-6 - Future Conference and Festival of the Future 2025

The Festival of the Future at the Deutsches Museum on Museum Island from July 3-6, 2025, also features light installations and activities related to AI and robotics

On July 5 and 6, the festival will then become a big family festival... A weekend with free admission (ENGLISH, DEUTSCH, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO)

Munich - Museum Island on the Isar River: Help shape tomorrow! Following the specialist conference, the big family festival will once again take place on Museum Island: the "Festival of the Future." It's all about people, technology, and innovation: The Deutsches Museum and 1E9 invite you to the big "Festival of the Future" on Museum Island from July 3-6. The Forum of the Future at the Ludwigsbrücke and along Uferstraße will feature lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and numerous hands-on opportunities centered around pioneering ideas and inventions for a better world of tomorrow. From Friday, July 3rd to Sunday, July 6th, the Deutsches Museum invites you to a specialist conference followed by a family festival.

 

Over the Isar Bridge you reach the Museum Island with the Deutsches Museum, Munich-Photo A. Waess (Press Photo Archive)

From AI to space travel, from XR experiences to art performances, from robotics to life sciences:

The Festival of the Future 2025, from July 3rd to 6th, is all about ideas, technologies, and innovations that can make tomorrow better. But first and foremost, it's about people. For this, the Deutsches Museum and the technology magazine 1E9 are bringing together top-class guests from the worlds of technology, art, science, media, business, and politics on Munich's Museum Island to inspire the audience to take a positive view of the future and encourage them to help shape it.

Harald Lesch, Jonathan Meese, Björn Ommer, and Florence Gaub are just a few of the prominent figures who will be appearing at the Festival of the Future 2025

• For example, the well-known science journalist Lesch will explain on July 6th from 11 a.m. why the renewable energy revolution is far more than a technical change.
• Performance artist Meese will present his "Planet of Love" on July 3 at 1:45 p.m.
• AI pioneer Björn Ommer (Stable Diffusion) will break down "The Future of Intelligence in 900 Seconds" on July 3 starting at 10 a.m.
• And futurologist Florence Gaub, who works for the EU and NATO, among others, will present "What We Can Learn from Other Countries" on July 5 starting at 11 a.m.

 

"AI, Robots, and Us"! Physicist, technology impact researcher, and Director General of the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Michael Decker

There will also be an opportunity to experience Michael Decker, the new Director General of the Deutsches Museum, live. Under the title "AI, Robots, and Us," the physicist and technology impact researcher will explain how we can shape our future with intelligent machines. "I'm really looking forward to the festival," says Decker, "especially because, as a museum, we're turning our attention to the future. With the Family Days, this is a fantastic, low-threshold opportunity to bring science and society into dialogue." His lecture on July 5th on the Dome Stage begins at 12:15 p.m.

In addition to lectures and discussions, exhibitions, and workshops, the festival also offers ample networking opportunities for the professional audience on the two conference days of July 3 and 4.

The Deutsches Museum's Forum of the Future, with its

• Dome Stage in the former planetarium,
• The Theater Stage in the former IMAX cinema,
• the large Experience Area,
• and the charming inner courtyard,
• provides an impressive backdrop for this unique event.

This weekend, Uferstrasse will also become a science communication party mile.

The whole family can join in: with interactive stations, workshops, art installations, robot shows, and mirror aliens performing as a walking act on Museum Island.

"Here, you can not only learn about ideas, but also actively help shape a better tomorrow," says Simon Glöcklhofer of the Deutsches Museum. "We're looking forward to four days full of inspiration, innovation, and interactive experiences that can steer our gaze toward the world of tomorrow in a positive direction!" Wolfgang Kerler of 1E9 adds: "We've invited inventors and founders, artists and politicians, researchers, and media professionals who are developing creative solutions to our challenges. Those who dare to leave the beaten track and not be held back by outdated ways of thinking."

Stauwehr der Isar in München, Foto: Helga Waess

 

Hier geht es zu unserem Artikel:  

 Das komplette Festival-Programm gibt es hier: 

• https://www.1e9.community/festival-der-zukunft/programm/2025

• Für die Konferenztage am 3. und 4. Juli benötigt man ein Ticket 
• der Eintritt am Familienwochenende ist frei.  

 QUELLE: Pressemeldung des Deutschen Museums vom 30. Juni 2025.

Click here for our article: 100 Years of the Deutsches Museum in Munich = 100 Jahre Deutsches Museum in München
 

The complete festival program is available here:

• https://www.1e9.community/festival-der-zukunft/programm/2025

A ticket is required for the conference days on July 3 and 4.

Admission to the family weekend is free.

 

SOURCE: Press release from the Deutsches Museum dated June 30, 2025.

Munich: World's Leading Trade Fair Laser World of Photonics 2025

Munich: Laser World of Photonics 2025, the world's leading trade fair,

The Laser World of Photonics 2025 trade fair closed with record numbers and provided a boost for the industry with strong innovations. The following trade fairs took place in parallel: Laser World of Photonics, World of Quantum, Automatica, and the World of Photonics Congress (with 3,000 scientific presentations)

June 27, 2025: Enthusiastic exhibitors welcomed 44,000 visitors to Munich in just four days (Source: Press release from Messe München dated June 27, 2025) (French, Italian, German) ( Français, Italiano, Deutsch, English)

Munich. Laser World of Photonics 2025 is just one of the world's leading trade fairs at the Munich Exhibition Center. Held in Munich from June 24 to 27, 1,398 exhibitors from 41 countries presented the entire spectrum of photonic technologies at the world's leading trade fair. According to Messe München's press release, over 44,000 visitors were inspired by trending topics in the supporting program and talks: secondary sources, integrated photonics, biophotonics, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The parallel World of Photonics Congress brought the international research elite, including Nobel laureates Prof. Anne L'Huillier and Prof. Ferenc Krausz, to Munich for six days. In this blog, we're sharing our contribution to:  automatica - Die Weltleitmesse für intelligente Automation und Robotik = automatica - The World's Leading Trade Fair for Intelligent Automation and Robotics
 

View of the Alps – visible on the horizon from Munich in good weather! - Photo: Helga Waess, Munich (press photo archive)

 Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Managing Director of Messe München, is satisfied:

"Laser World of Photonics was once again a complete success this year. It demonstrated once again how innovative the photonics industry is. Together with World of Quantum and automatica, it provided pioneering impetus for research and industry. The trade fair trio has once again proven: Munich is a hotspot for innovation..."

And during his visit to the three trade fairs, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Huber Aiwanger emphasized the strategic importance of the industry:

"Photonics is a key technology without which many other high-tech industries would be inconceivable."

Dr. Wilhelm Kaenders, Chairman of the Exhibitor Advisory Board and CEO of TOPTICA Photonics AG, emphasized:

"An industry that has always experienced strong growth is once again seeing an upward trend at the largest LASER trade fair of all time, fueled by customer interest and technological innovations..." 

 

A conclusion that Exhibition Director Anke Odouli can confirm from discussions with exhibitors:

"We have spoken with many companies from all over the world in recent days. They have all signaled to us that they are in a positive mood and will return from Munich with renewed vigor."

The figures suggest an optimistic outlook

Despite a challenging economic environment, experts expect the global photonics market to grow by at least six percent annually in the coming years.

"Although companies are operating in difficult economic times, the expectation that the trade fair can also contribute to improving business is palpable. A trade fair at its best!" Spectaris Managing Director Jörg Mayer summarizes the mood in the industry.

Synergies between photonics, quantum, and robotics

The two parallel trade fairs, World of Quantum and automatica, provided added value and new impetus.

"The joint organization of the three trade fairs impressively demonstrated how photonics, quantum technologies, and automation complement each other in practice," says Dr. Sven Breitung, Managing Director of the VDMA Working Group for Lasers and Laser Systems for Material Processing, adding: "Cross-trade fair formats such as showcases, guided tours, and a special exhibition ensured a powerful experience – with high added value for exhibitors and visitors."

 

 Top Meeting of Photonics Research

Europe's largest photonics congress accompanied the trade fair and offered a scientific platform of the highest caliber.

Among the scientific luminaries present were, for example, 

• the two Nobel Prize winners Prof. Anne L'Huillier and Prof. Ferenc Krausz,
• Herbert Walther Award winner Prof. Michael Fleischhauer
• and Prof. Christine Silberhorn.

"With its diverse program and distinguished speakers, the congress brought together international experts from science and industry, encouraged networking, and provided inspiring impulses. A globally groundbreaking event for photonics!" says Prof. Carlo Holly from Fraunhofer ILT and TOS RWTH Aachen, in his role as Chair of the World of Photonics Congress Steering Committee.

In five specialist conferences with around 3,000 scientific presentations and poster sessions, the congress covered all aspects of photonics over six days – from basic research to application-oriented development.

 

Laser World of Photonics in Numbers

1,398 exhibitors (2023: 1,220 exhibitors) traveled from 41 countries and regions, representing a 68 percent share of international visitors.

Approximately 44,000 visitors came from 74 countries and regions (2023: over 40,000 visitors), with 57 percent coming from abroad.

The top ten visitor countries after Germany were (in this order): Great Britain and Northern Ireland, France, Italy, China, Switzerland, the USA, Japan, Austria, Spain, and the Netherlands.

The next three trade fairs:

Laser World of Photonics - World of Quantum - Automatica

• June 22-25, 2027 in Munich

The next World of Photonics Congress

• June 20-25, 2027

Hannover Messe - Fraunhofer Institute

Fraunhofer at the Hannover Messe 2025

Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT with the CyberGuard project at the Hannover Messe: Standardized security playbooks improve protection against cyberattacks

In the CyberGuard project, Fraunhofer researchers are working on standardized playbooks for optimized security strategies (Deutsch)

Hannover Messe. Standardized security playbooks improve protection against cyberattacks! In the CyberGuard project, Fraunhofer researchers are working on standardized playbooks so that companies can optimize and coordinate their security strategies. The playbooks are generated using large-scale language models and support the automation of IT security. Cyberattacks are constantly evolving and becoming increasingly sophisticated. Therefore, the Fraunhofer researchers led by Akbari Gurabi want to encourage AI to continue learning in the future. If, for example, a new variant of an attack emerges, the AI ​​updates and optimizes the respective playbook based on existing know-how. The virtual security expert is not left unattended. Fraunhofer researcher Akbari Gurabi explains: "In IT security, mistakes are not allowed. Therefore, CyberGuard requires IT managers to check whether the AI ​​has acted sensibly in creating the machine-readable documents."

SZ - Zeppelin - Pressefoto-Archiv: Helga Waess (Cover Kunst-Kultur-Blot)

A team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT has therefore set itself the goal of developing a uniform framework for defending against attacks in the CyberGuard project ...

The core of the project is standardized playbooks with machine-readable process descriptions.

In terms of standards, the researchers are relying on the open-source format CACAO (collaborative automated course of action operations) from the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS).

"Even small companies or startups that cannot afford a large IT security department can receive playbooks for emergencies and protect themselves," adds Mehdi Akbari Gurabi, an expert in data protection and data sovereignty at Fraunhofer FIT.

Fraunhofer at the Hannover Messe 2025

• Fraunhofer FIT
• until April 4, 2025
• in Hall 2