This year, with "Integrated Industry – Connect & Collaborate" as its lead theme, HANNOVER MESSE, is taking its Industry 4.0 commitment to the next level with a strong lineup of keynote themes. These include the integration of industrial IT and automation, artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance, the industrial platform economy, people and work, SMEs and technology users, interoperability, security and standards, to name but a few. The central discussion platform for these themes will once again be the "Industry 4.0 meets the Industrial Internet" forum in Hall 8. International experts will take the stage at the forum to present new use cases, test beds, technologies and service offerings. There will also be daily panel discussions, where representatives from business, science and government will debate the big issues.

"With numerous exhibitors from every segment of HANNOVER MESSE highlighting the lead theme, Industry 4.0 will feature prominently throughout the halls," said Arno Reich, Global Director IAMD and Digital Factory for HANNOVER MESSE. "But the epicenter of it all will be the IAMD and Digital Factory shows. The solutions and insights on offer at those two shows are what undeniably make HANNOVER MESSE the world's leading showcase for Industry 4.0."

The automation and industrial IT sectors are prime examples of the changes wrought by integration in terms both of intelligence and convergence at the technology level and of interconnectedness and collaboration among enterprises. Traditional boundaries and demarcations are breaking down as classic automation specialists morph into software experts and classic IT providers forge alliances with major industrial corporations. These trends are also reflected in the merger of the Industrial Automation and MDA shows of past years to form the new IAMD – Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives show. The merger was the logical consequence of market changes in the age of digitization. "The market for multidisciplinary solutions and integrated products is growing all the time," Reich said. "The new tradeshow makeup is just another example of how we are systematically building on our Industry 4.0 strengths. Like no other trade fair, HANNOVER MESSE showcases complete Industry 4.0 solutions – everything from smart components to cloud-based data management – and not just the individual building blocks."

Forums for quality discussion and new Industry 4.0 ideas

The dialogue on Industry 4.0 and integration that springs up at the exhibition stands will be addressed in greater depth in a number of dedicated forums, first and foremost of which is the aforementioned "Industry 4.0 meets the Industrial Internet" forum in Hall 8, followed by the Smart Power Transmission and Fluid Power Solutions showcase in Hall 23, the Automation Forum in Hall 14, the Logistics 4.0 Forum in Hall 19/20 at CeMAT, and the central Industrial Supply Forum in Hall 4. Industry 4.0 and integration will also feature prominently at HANNOVER MESSE's Energy show. For example, on the Monday of the show, the German Energy Agency (dena) will use the Digital Energy display to present the findings of a recent survey on the market potential and uptake of digital technologies that facilitate the smart integration of industry 4.0 systems with the energy supply infrastructure of industrial companies.

Standards for communication in IIoT

Given that the digital integration of production raises many new technical challenges, one of the main topics up for discussion at the "Industry 4.0 meets the Industrial Internet" forum will be norms and standards for communication in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Other topics include the platform economy, artificial intelligence and machine learning and IT security. Many national-level and international initiatives will be using the forum to present their responses to the digital transformation challenge. This means that HANNOVER MESSE is a unique opportunity to gain a comparative global perspective on Industry 4.0 visions, ideas and approaches. The forum is organized by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI), Germany's Industry 4.0 Platform (Plattform Industrie 4.0) and the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC).

This year, the discussion on IT security won't be confined to the "Industry 4.0 meets the Industrial Internet" forum, the Automation Forum and the Smart Power Transmission and Fluid Power Solutions display. That's because this year, for the very first time, the Digital Factory show will have a dedicated Industrial Security display area. Located in Hall 6, the display area will feature a group pavilion and a forum.