In 2018, Mexico, the official Partner Country of HANNOVER MESSE, will use the show's global reach to forge international technology partnerships. President Enrique Peña Nieto will jointly inaugurate HANNOVER MESSE 2018 on Sunday, 22 April 2018, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mexico's Partner Country showcase will comprise about 150 exhibitors overall, who will present their products and services at Mexican pavilions in every key technological segment covered at HANNOVER MESSE. Many members of the Mexican federal government and state governors will be in attendance, eager to engage in dialogue with industrial players from around the world. The two heads of government will begin the traditional joint walk-about of the show in Hall 27, where Mexico will be presenting opportunities for inward industrial investment at the central Mexican Pavilion.

Hall 27 is also the venue for Global Business & Markets, Europe's largest foreign trade event, with a total exhibition area of more than 7,000 sqm (75,340 sq. ft.). The conference program , devoted to market development, industrial cooperation and foreign direct investment, will take place over several days of the show and includes the participation of numerous business networks that actively assist SMEs in gaining access to emerging markets.

" Global Business & Markets is designed to help SMEs in particular to forge international partnerships and make inroads into new markets. It does this by highlighting the opportunities available and explaining the barriers likely to be encountered," explained Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Director Sales & Operations, HANNOVER MESSE. "We have deliberately designed these events to be open and easily accessible so as to create a truly global platform for the world's industrial SMEs."

The dialogue with the Partner Country begins on Monday, 23 April, in the on-site Convention Center, with the traditional Business Summit organized by the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and key Mexican industry and business associations. In Hall 27, the Partner Country Mexico Auditorium will feature daily presentations of dynamic developments in Mexico's industrial landscape. The federal states of Nuevo Leon and Queretaro are holding their own events aimed at actively promoting new relationships and partnerships. And on the Tuesday of the show, Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) will hold a conference on Mexico's role as a global re-export hub. Further themes covered in Hall 27 include energy, vocational training and Mexico's business culture.

Industry 4.0 – an international megatrend

Global Business & Markets highlights the extent to which the keynote theme of HANNOVER MESSE is now defining the industrial policy debate worldwide. Along with Mexico as Partner Country, a number of other industrial nations will also be on hand to communicate their strategies for maintaining their competitive edge vis-à-vis other industrial locations, and the incentives they plan to offer for digitized production. On 23 April, the GTAI conference titled "Digital Germany" will discuss the importance for Industry 4.0 of collaboration between established businesses and start-ups, and how this operates in Germany.

Also on 23 April, the China International Investment Promotion Agency (CIIPA) and Sino-German Industrial City Alliance (ISA) will bring together German and Chinese experts, businesses and investors involved in the mechanical and plant engineering sector to discuss Industry 4.0 and "Made in China 2025". Tianjin Binhai, one of China's first national high-tech industrial zones, will be profiling itself as a center of industrial innovation in the People's Republic.

On 24 April, the Germany-Singapore Business Forum 2018 will explore the prospects for cooperation in smart manufacturing. A delegation of entrepreneurs visiting HANNOVER MESSE will be led by the Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry, S. Iswaran. Further events will focus on smart industries in the ASEAN states and opportunities for Korean businesses adopting Industry 4.0.

On 23 April, the Russian mega-metropolis of Moscow will profile itself as the country's industrial innovation hub. The U.S. state of Ohio will be showcasing a very wide array of forward-looking technologies such as 3D printing, new materials, automated guided vehicles, bio-medicine, cybersecurity, data analysis, batteries, fuel cells, the Internet of Things, and sensor technology.

The 12th German-Japanese Economic Forum will take place on 25 April. This event will focus on the decarbonization of mobility through hydrogen technology and electric transport systems. The contribution of Industry 4.0 towards the UN goal of sustainable development will be the topic of debate at an event held on 25 April, mounted by the Global Manufacturing Organization and UNIDO, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

Expertise on establishing a presence in international markets

The Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) is bringing a record number of 55 German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHKs) to Global Business & Markets in 2018. "One of our most important tasks is to not just point out the opportunities, but also detect, identify and minimize the risks that businesses face in foreign markets," said DIHK Foreign Trade Director Dr. Volker Treier. The AHKs' market experts will be there to share their knowledge with visitors at a total of 13 events. The conference on the Russian market on 25 April includes the participation of the Hannover Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK). And on 24 April, a conference featuring an international lineup of experts will discuss the global oil and gas market.

The central Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha will be presenting its competitive infrastructure and capital investment promotion program. The region's foreign trade and investment institute (IPEX) is hoping to boost the level of international involvement in local businesses. A seminar presented by the global multinational Allianz – which is making its HANNOVER MESSE debut this year – will address the ways in which SMEs can successfully negotiate the complex web of legal regulations existing in some markets and minimize their global risks.

Also at HANNOVER MESSE for the first time will be the Gulf state of Qatar, which has decided to address its global challenges with the formulation of a "Qatar National Vision 2030", designed to ensure the diversified and competitive knowledge-based further development of its rapidly growing economy.

The 2018 Lower Saxony Foreign Trade Conference on 25 April will focus on entrepreneurial engagement in Africa. Armenia is also taking part at HANNOVER MESSE for the first time: it is promoting the development of industry clusters, technology parks, incubators and free-trade zones.

The European American Investment Council (EAIC) will also be participating. EAIC is the official European representative of selected US cities, municipalities, regions and businesses. Its purpose is to assist European businesses with US market entry, setting up companies and selecting the right location for their needs.

One-on-one dialogue in the Investment Lounge:

The Investment Lounge , a dedicated zone within the Global Business & Markets platform, provides a forum for face-to-face dialogue. Market experts from the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad network will be there to provide advice on specific foreign projects. A long-standing Global Business & Markets partner will also be on hand, in the form of Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), the Federal Republic of Germany's agency for foreign trade and inward investment. It will be using the platform in Hall 27 to offer advice to businesses focused on Industry 4.0 and foreign start-ups on how to set up shop in Germany.

Information on the world's markets

GTAI correspondents have compiled reports on industrial development in key OECD countries specifically for HANNOVER MESSE. The organization will also be providing information on the digitization promotion programs of national governments. These reports are printed in the annual "Global Business Magazine" published in conjunction with the show, copies of which will be available in Hall 27. The first Global Business Atlas is also available for downloading. This publication contains data on German exports to key target markets.