2018 marks the third time that the Young Tech Enterprises showcase will feature at HANNOVER MESSE, the world's leading trade fair for industrial technology. This year, from 23 to 27 April, around 150 young industrial companies will be part of the show's official startup hub. Young Tech Enterprises comprises an exhibition and a diverse program of events, all of which are squarely focused on developing new business leads and building new networks.

The central Young Tech Enterprises pavilion is located in Hall 17, surrounded by the exhibits of robotics and automation systems manufacturers. There, about 130 startups will be presenting their business models. The pavilion will also be the venue for a comprehensive supporting program of forum discussions, pitches and networking events. New this year are two satellite showcases: An intralogistics pavilion in Hall 19 featuring six startups, and an energy pavilion in Hall 27 featuring 15 startups.

Mexico, this year's HANNOVER MESSE Partner Country , and the Netherlands will also be sending large contingents of startups to the show. 20 Mexican startups will be profiling their expertise at the Partner Country's Cluster Park showcase, while the Netherlands will contribute a startup group display as well as 10 standalone showcases by individual startups.

Each day, the Young Tech Enterprises Forum will feature a combination of presentations, panel discussions, workshops and pitches. The presentations will explore a variety of different issues, including subjects such as these: "Pioneering age or pioneering country? What obstacles do industrial entrepreneurs encounter and what help can they expect from politicians and established businesses?", "Things to look out for when considering VC investors" and "Virtual reality in industry: what will the workplaces of the future look like?" The program of pitches will be particularly interesting, not least because the stakes are high: The best pitches will receive attractive prizes and, more importantly, priceless exposure within the investor community. The award ceremony will held on the Friday of the show, at 3 p.m.

"The Young Tech Enterprises exhibition will feature smart machine components, modular kits for industrial automation, additive manufacturing solutions, waste-free cleaning systems, innovative battery cell systems, big data science as a service, machine learning systems and predictive logistics solutions," explained Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Director Sales & Operations at HANNOVER MESSE. "The lineup illustrates the enormous diversity of the industrial startup scene. We are delighted to be involved in creating a platform featuring such a stunning wealth of innovations and inspiration."

Who are these startups, and how do they hope to benefit from HANNOVER MESSE?

Ubudu will be presenting its high-precision, real-time geolocation systems for indoor event venues. The systems can also help companies improve the efficiency and productivity of their operations and speed up product and service delivery to their customers. "Our main objectives for HANNOVER MESSE are to make contact with the big German industry 4.0 players and to better understand the German market," said Thomas Saphir, co-founder and COO.

drag&bot GmbH will show its web-based software solution that greatly simplifies the programming of industrial robots. The solution also enables workers to use robots in production without requiring prior training or specialized robotics or IT expertise. "At HANNOVER MESSE, we will be showing how drag&bot can be used as an operating system for various different makes and models of industrial robots. Our primary goal is to convey to manufacturers that our solution is highly flexible and can easily be integrated into their existing automated processes," said Daniel Seebauer, co-founder and head of business development.

5Analytics GmbH will front up with the latest version of its innovative AI platform. With this innovative software, companies can implement quality-assured AI solutions along the entire value chain with minimal effort. "We want to show that even young startups like us can offer wide-ranging expertise in artificial intelligence that helps companies to automate business decisions," explained Sefanie Haase, 4Analytics' head of marketing.

Partners supporting the Young Tech Enterprises showcase

The executive partners of the Young Tech Enterprises showcase are the German Startups Association (BVDS) and factum Presse und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit GmbH. Other partners include Siemens, the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), Lenze, BASF, Leonhard Ventures and Vertical. The German startup magazine Berlin Valley is the official media partner.