At this year’s HANNOVER MESSE, KIT showcased around 65 technologies from fields such as fusion, robotics, and quantum technology. Which of these drew the most interest from industry professionals, and why are such breakthroughs so crucial for our industrial future?

The nearly nonstop stream of visitors at all the exhibits showed us that we had chosen the right topics. Whether innovations in the energy sector or key technologies on the high-tech agenda—interest was enormous. The visitor numbers also showed that all exhibits received equal attention. The so-called First Wall, a central component of a future fusion reactor, was a magnet for the professional audience due to its forward-looking potential. Photreon, a development that produces green hydrogen from sunlight, was an example of the scalability of research toward industrial-scale application. Hyperloop, as a contribution by a university student group to the mobility of tomorrow, attracted significant attention. We demonstrate how visions become reality. The Hannover Messe is the ideal venue for this.

The transformation toward a sustainable and resilient industry is a central theme of HANNOVER MESSE. What new insights or ideas were your researchers able to take away from the discussions?

The discussions repeatedly revolved around the question: What can we do better in the future to overcome the problems of the present? For example, the debate about our future energy supply. Which energy sources will be reliably and cost-effectively available to us? Sources capable of satisfying industry’s growing energy demand, ending dependence on fossil fuels, and that are also sustainable. In the field of robotics, discussions focused, among other things, on how machines can take over human tasks even more effectively. What alternatives exist to traveling by train or plane, and how can communication technology become more efficient and secure? In short: Time and again, the focus was on practical solutions to existing problems. This guides how we should orient our research: for the benefit of society.

Startups bring a lot of entrepreneurial spirit and innovation to the industry. How does KIT promote these at the trade fair? Could you share some success stories with us, such as letters of intent or partnerships?

Every year at the Hannover Messe, KIT presents selected technology startups from within its own ranks. A KIT spin-off is featured at the KIT main booth each year. In addition, KIT is the only institution that provides ten other startups with the opportunity to present themselves throughout the entire fair by offering a dedicated startup booth in Hall 11. The booth is managed by the KIT Startup Incubator. Startups are a key element of KIT’s technology transfer and have been supported for years. Last year alone, KIT recorded 68 new startups.

You participated in a highly acclaimed panel discussion on the future of the European industrial landscape and defense. What role does KIT play in this context?

The so-called “turning point” poses a particular challenge to all industrial partners. Now more than ever, it is essential to develop new approaches and ideas to defend our shared values. This requires, among other things, exceptional innovative strength. As a university of excellence and the only German university with a major research mandate, KIT plays a special role in this regard. KIT’s mission is to align its own research with the needs of society. This includes the desire for security. Security in terms of the resilience of our supply chains, our basic food supply, and healthcare. But it also includes the development of technologies and solutions that may have potential defense-related applications. Drones, new materials, sensors, AI, cybersecurity—the list is long. The panel discussion in Hanover demonstrated this impressively: politics, industry, and research must pool their expertise to succeed.

What was your personal highlight of the trade fair, and what impact will it have on the work in Karlsruhe in the coming months?

In addition to numerous meetings and discussions with representatives from politics, business, and industry, the Chancellor’s visit to the KIT booth was certainly the highlight of 2026. Together with Federal Ministers Katherina Reiche and Dorothee Bär, the Chancellor’s visit demonstrated to us the significance KIT holds for the federal government. In all key technologies of the High-Tech Agenda, KIT occupies leading positions in the respective research disciplines. This is demonstrated, for example, by the groundbreaking developments in the field of fusion technology. At the Hannover Fair, KIT demonstrated that key projects of the federal government can be successfully implemented with its support. The visit by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his ministers underscores the government’s confidence in KIT’s work and provides a boost for our future research.