Hannover, October 26, 2015 – The age of Integrated Industry is standing at the door. Energy systems will be digitally controlled. Mature Industry 4.0 technologies are hitting the market. Hannover Messe 2016 (April 25-29, 2016) will drive this development even further – with a record number of examples of concrete applications and Partner Country USA.

“Integrated Industry – Discover Solutions” is the lead theme of Hannover Messe 2016. “Integrated Industry is no longer a vision of the future. It is reality. Industry 4.0 is moving into more and more factories. Power grids will evolve into smart grids,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, member of the managing board at Deutsche Messe. “To remain competitive, companies must recognize and fully exploit the potential of digitalization. HANNOVER MESSE 2016 will show them how.”

The digitalisation of factories and energy systems is the foremost topic at the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology. Says Köckler: “We expect for the first time at the fair more than 100 concrete examples of applications. That is unique worldwide. Partner Country USA will also demonstrate the newest Industry 4.0 technologies. Hannover Messe is truly the global showcase for Integrated Industry.” In Hannover, visitors from the manufacturing industries learn step by step how to convert their production plants into Industry 4.0 factories. Visitors from the energy industry discover technical solutions for intelligent energy systems.

Today’s world of energy generation, distribution and consumption is more complex than ever. Future energy systems require increasingly detailed solutions that interact with each other via an intelligent system. Electricity comes more and more from decentralized generators that need to be networked. Energy storage and distribution also has to be digitally controlled. Power grids and data networks are converging. “Under the catchphrase ‘Integrated Energy’, Hannover Messe presents solutions for connecting the entire energy chain – from generation, transmission, distribution and storage all the way to alternative mobility solutions,” says Köckler.

In recent years Hannover Messe pioneered the Industry 4.0 era. Rarely has a technological development made such a profound impact so quickly. What previously was a vision is now a reality, ready for use in factories. Hannover Messe 2016 will give this trend further momentum – not only with new technologies, but also with the new business models that they enable.

For example: with predictive maintenance, machine and plant engineers embed sensors in machinery so that it can independently indicate that it will soon require servicing. Using this data, the machinery manufacturer can build his after-sales business by offering timely maintenance services to factory operators. Köckler: “At the new special display ‘Predictive Maintenance 4.0’ we make it clear: Discover Solutions is not only about technological solutions, but also about creating new fields of business.”

With Partner Country USA, Hannover Messe welcomes the world’s biggest economy. Leading US companies will demonstrate their solutions for Integrated Industry. Plus, the US-based Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) will present itself at a special display area. IIC is a globally active organization that promotes the development of the Industrial Internet of Things. Hence, all of the key players in industrial digitalisation gather in Hannover: German companies with mechanical and electrical engineering expertise, leading US software providers, and companies from China and Japan that advocate Integrated Industry from their side. This creates new partnerships, ideas and solutions along the way to Industry 4.0.

“Hannover Messe 2016 bundles global Industry 4.0 know-how. With the lead theme ‘Integrated Industry – Discover Solutions!’, visitors find networked solutions for more competitiveness,” sums up Köckler.