As of: April 23, 2024 4:04 p.m
During his tour of the Hanover Trade Fair on Tuesday, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) found out about sustainable production. He also took part in a panel discussion.
The Federal Minister of Economics wanted to get an overview of the trade fair and talk to the exhibitors. Among other things, he was concerned with the question of how resources can be saved using artificial intelligence (AI). Renewable energies were also a topic: together with Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD), Habeck spoke as part of a panel discussion on the topic of “Renewable Dialogue – North Sea Energy Hub”.
Tour by Scholz and Støre: “A lot of things would have been science fiction in the past”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was also at the trade fair. On the first day of the trade fair on Monday, he praised the joy of innovation that could be felt among the exhibitors. “This is particularly true for the really big task of how do we manage to deal with the challenges of digitalization and take advantage of the opportunities.” AI can already be found in even the smallest products today – which also helps to use fewer resources. The Prime Minister of the trade fair partner country Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, was also impressed: “Many of the things we saw today would have been science fiction if they had been introduced five years ago.”
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Industry representatives and the CDU are calling for more reforms and more speed
Scholz again received demands from the industry on his way through the exhibition halls. The President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), Siegfried Russwurm, said what the federal government has done so far with reforms such as the Growth Promotion Act and the reduction in bureaucracy “is worthy of all honor. But it is simply not enough.” The decline in industrial production, which has been observed for years, cannot be stopped. There is a need for “competitive energy prices that can be planned in the long term,” said Russwurm. The demand of the President of the Association of German Mechanical and Plant Engineering (VDMA), Karl Haeusgen, sounds similar: more speed in economic policy. In Germany and Europe there is no need for debates about doom, but rather courageous reforms in order to remain competitive as an industrial location. Lower Saxony’s CDU parliamentary group leader Sebastian Lechner called for “a sensible reform of corporate taxation in order to enable investments in important future projects” in a statement on Monday.
Scholz: “We make a living from researching future-oriented technologies”
Chancellor Scholz hopes that the Hannover Messe will provide new impetus for the energy transition and for strengthening the competitiveness of German industry. “What our country will live on in the future is what can be seen at this trade fair: that we develop new things, that we continually improve products, that we research and apply future-oriented technologies,” said the SPD politician. Because what is “invented in Germany today will be our competitive advantage tomorrow.” However, the Chancellor also said that this would require more speed in the transfer from research to practice. And referring to the criticism of high energy prices and excessive bureaucracy in Germany, Scholz said: “A modern supply policy naturally also means that we are becoming faster and simpler. We completely agree on that.” The federal government has already set an important course here, emphasized Scholz.
Trade fair boss: “AI is the key to a competitive industry”
The trade fair runs until Friday and this year is dedicated, among other things, to the topics of AI, sustainability and hydrogen. In order to make the industry competitive in the future, AI plays a crucial role, said trade fair boss Jochen Köckler in the run-up to the opening: “AI is the key to a competitive and sustainable industry.” Despite the labor shortage, it offers the industry an opportunity for growth. An AI assistant that allows industrial robots to be controlled by voice will be presented at the trade fair. You can also see machines that automatically detect errors and systems that independently set appointments for their own maintenance.
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Hydrogen for the German steel industry
The motto of the Hannover Messe is “Industrial Transformation – Energizing a Sustainable Industry”, so it is about promoting a sustainable industry. Well-known companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, Dell, SAP, Siemens and Bosch are represented at Hannover Messe. Another focus is the topic of hydrogen. Since Norway has a lot of hydropower, the organizer chose Norway as a partner country. The country can supply large quantities of green hydrogen, on which the German steel industry will depend in the long term.
Close ranks with partner country Norway
On Sunday, Chancellor Scholz opened the Hanover Trade Fair together with Norway’s Prime Minister Støre. In his opening speech, Scholz sought to unite with Norway. He pointed out the great importance of Norway in the production of renewable energy. Gahr Støre called Germany Norway’s most important and closest partner.
Fewer exhibitors than before the corona pandemic
According to the organizers, around 4,000 exhibitors from 60 countries are expected. As a result, the trade fair cannot yet return to the level of the pre-Corona period. In 2019, 6,500 exhibitors came. “In economically difficult times, the trade fair stand will, if in doubt, be a little smaller,” said Köckler. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 trade fair was canceled for the first time since it was founded in 1947; in 2021 it only took place digitally.
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