Fluid Power Paves the Way for Industry

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Fluid Power Paves the Way for Industry

Fluid Power Paves the Way for Industry

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Feb 28,25

With more than 4,000 exhibitors from all over the world, HANNOVER MESSE is the central platform for future-oriented solutions in industrial production. Drive technology and fluid power will play a special role this year.

Under the label of "Motion & Drives", the industry segments will once again showcase their strength and importance as the largest supplier branches in the international engineering business at HANNOVER MESSE 2025, the world's leading trade fair for industry will open its doors on March 31, 2025. Not only innovative and smart individual components but also complete systems will be presented.

For strongly export-oriented drive technology and fluid power companies, HANNOVER MESSE is the ideal platform to push their global business forward thanks to its highly international character.

"Given the general global conditions, HANNOVER MESSE has a special role to play this year, because this is where the global course for tomorrow's industrial production will be set," stated Dr Jochen Köckler, Chairman and CEO of Deutsche Messe AG. "In the areas of automation, digitalization and international cooperation, we offer a central platform on which drive technology and fluid power companies can showcase their pioneering concepts and provide decisive impetus for a resilient industry. At the same time, the highly international nature of the event opens up ideal opportunities for export-oriented companies to tap into new markets, acquire potential new customers, and strengthen their position in global competition in the long term."

Companies that have already registered their participation include Atos, Baumüller, Bosch Rexroth, Cantoni, Festo, Flender, HAWE, IMM Hydraulik, SEW-EURODRIVE, and Schaeffler. The manufacturers will present their latest applications and components for intelligent and sustainable production. All this, under the Motion & Drives label, will be focused in Halls 4, 5, and 6.

"With HANNOVER MESSE, we are offering exhibitors the opportunity to be embedded in a unique industrial innovation ecosystem. It is one in which companies from the engineering, electrical and digital industries as well as the energy sector present efficient and sustainable solutions for current and future industrial value creation. This mix of research, business, start-ups and politics is a guarantee for a consistently high level of dynamic performance every year," said Dr Köckler.

"Power Transmission Engineering and Fluid Power components are key building blocks of machines – they provide power and movement, serve as a data source for digital value-added services, and play a decisive role in the performance of customer products. In 2025, HANNOVER MESSE with its 'Motion & Drives Community' will become a driver of innovation in the engineering business," emphasises Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Managing Director of the Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association (VDMA) and responsible for the Power Transmission Engineering and Fluid Power Associations within VDMA.

Power transmission is facing challenges

The German power transmission engineering and fluid power sectors expect to close 2024 with a nominal decline in sales of around eight percent. Incoming orders are also running at this level, and there is a lack of urgently needed impetus to stimulate the market. Accordingly, the two industry sectors, which together account for a sales volume of around Euro 30 billion, continue to face a difficult economic situation.

This picture is representative of the entire engineering business. The industry is under sustained cost and competitive pressure, and is reluctant to invest due to global uncertainties and challenging political conditions in Germany, the EU, and the rest of the world. Growth in the Chinese export market, which plays an important role for Power Transmission Engineering and Fluid Power, is also showing no signs of momentum.

Forecast for 2025 and the role of Hannover Messe

Neither sector expects any significant recovery in 2025, indeed they are anticipating a decline – albeit a more moderate one. It is therefore even more important that HANNOVER MESSE 2025 should serve as a platform to demonstrate the performance and innovative power of drive technology and fluid power to the world. The role of politics should not be neglected either: "There is a need to cut red tape and strengthen entrepreneurship. We need better framework conditions as well as free trade agreements and impetus in the innovation field. The research tax allowance is a good approach, and we are also focusing on expanding joint industrial research," observed Hartmut Rauen.

Young talent and research activities as the key to the future

The members of the Power Transmission Engineering and Fluid Power associations are increasingly involved with the problems of securing young talent and the shortage of skilled workers. Through close cooperation with research institutions such as the Research Association for Drive Technology (FVA e.V.), the Fluid Power Research Fund and the Fluid Power Education Fund, pioneering research projects are being driven forward, and urgently needed graduates are being trained.

Digitalization will continue to be a key topic at HANNOVER MESSE. The publicly funded research project "Fluid 4.0", which focuses primarily on the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) concept, is opening up new perspectives for the industry. OPC UA specifications are being developed in the area of Power Transmission Engineering to optimize data exchange in Power Transmission Engineering. Interfaces to the overarching topic of Manufacturing-X will also be addressed in order to design future data spaces for the industry, and to gear up the sector for the future.

Special Fluid Power 4.0 show

The special show in Hall 5, D44 at the heart of the "Motion & Drives" exhibition focus will prove to be the central meeting point for casting light on the future of fluid power and exchanging ideas and insights with experts. Exhibits and research activities on system control, energy monitoring, recycling management, carbon footprints, and IoT integration will be presented. The exhibition will show what the path to even more efficient and productive fluid power looks like, and what added value digitalization brings for manufacturers and customers alike.

“Motion & Drives” Conference Stage: Transfer of Expertise and Networking

The Conference Stage in Hall 5, D32 will be the center for transferring expertise and networking in the fields of Power Transmission Engineering and Fluid Power. In the immediate vicinity of the special Fluid Power 4.0 show, sessions will be offered throughout the week dealing with specific topics on the latest developments in smart Fluid Power and Power Transmission Engineering. The program will be supplemented with topics focusing on Europe, India and Italy.

The joint stand for VDMA members and the information stands of the Power Transmission Engineering and Fluid Power associations together with their European sector committees CETOP and EUROTRANS, will be located in the immediate vicinity in areas E36 to E44. Seven member companies from the Power Transmission Engineering and Fluid Power sector and the Fluid 4.0 project will be exhibiting innovative products, innovations and solutions at the joint company stand.

Canada as Partner Country of Hannover Messe 2025

Despite moderate growth of 1.1 to 1.3 percent in 2024, Canada's economy is looking to the future. Rising sales expectations and decreasing capacity bottlenecks are giving companies grounds for optimism, while the cut in the key interest rate to 3.75 percent is boosting investment. Opportunities are opening up in machine building in particular: the construction of battery plants such as that of the VW subsidiary PowerCo in Ontario is strengthening the demand for equipment and facilities for battery cell production, automation, and sustainable technologies.

Government subsidies are also driving investment in green technologies. Hannover Messe 2025 will offer a special platform to pick up on developments and underline Canada's role in the engineering business.

The German drive technology sector recently exported Euro 174 million and that of fluid power Euro 93 million annually to Canada (engineering industry total Euro 2.2 billion). On the import side, on the other hand, only Euro 47 million was spent on drive technology and Euro 8 million on fluid power (engineering industry total Euro 322 million). Despite this comparatively small market size, Canada offers opportunities for growth. The latest data from 2023 shows that Canada offers potential in the areas of electric mobility, agriculture, and the oil and gas industries in particular. The Canadian government's planned investments in these sectors will open up new prospects and opportunities for European industry.

Article Courtesy: Deutsche Messe AG