Frank Seinsche, Head of Corporate Design and Events, Salzgitter AG, Salzgitter, Germany
"For us, HANNOVER MESSE is a key platform for engaging with customers and partners and for showcasing innovations for manufacturing and the automotive industry. As the world’s leading trade show for industrial technology, it brings together a broad, international mix of market participants. It’s also an important policy conduit for us. What’s more, the diversity of the Industrial Supply show offers us ample scope for new synergies."

Dr. Gunnar Merz, Chief Executive Officer, CFK Valley e.V., Stade, Germany:
"We specialize in carbon composites – a highly innovative field involving business well beyond regional and national borders. In our line of work, innovation happens all around the world and is of global significance. It’s a challenging environment, and to meet that challenge we need the right contacts so that we can continuously develop our business and employees. And that is why, for us, HANNOVER MESSE is the global showcase for innovation. It brings representatives from all the key industrial nations together under one roof, making it much easier and quicker for us to make those all-important contacts.
Lightweight construction absolutely has the potential to become a key enabling technology in Germany – if we go about it the right way. That’s because in every field that involves motion – and these days that increasingly includes electric mobility – the key to greater efficiency is to reduce weight. But of course, usable lightweight solutions are about much more than just lightweight materials. They are also about combining a variety of technologies and trying things out to see what fits the purpose. However, the bottom line for me is that all moving parts need to get lighter, and the key to that is lightweight construction.
What I really value about HANNOVER MESSE is the international leads it provides and the great number of countries that are represented here. I also really like this year’s Partner Country USA initiative and the fact that President Obama made a point of visiting the show personally. Needless to say, that was a huge plus."

Matthias Lesch, Marketing & Sales, Pöppelmann Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Lohne, Germany:
"HANNOVER MESSE has always been a very important platform for us. It enables us to present our innovations and solutions to existing and potential customers from a diverse range of industries. The keynote themes of our showcase this year included lightweight construction and rapid tooling.
At this year’s Industrial Supply show we’re seeing a high percentage of trade visitors with specific inquiries – especially inquiries relating to our keynote themes.
On the subject of lightweight construction, we are presenting various weight reduction solutions that are already deployed on our production lines. These range from the choice of materials – for example substituting plastic for metal parts – and using the MuCell process – microcellular foaming of thermoplastics – right through to the use of thermoplastic matrix composites. Our rapid tooling solutions are also attracting a great deal of interest. This is where we print tool inserts using our own 3D printers. Once printed, the tools can be used to quickly produce prototype parts made from the customer’s production material of choice.
We are already looking forward to once again exhibiting at HANNOVER MESSE in 2017. In fact, next year we will have two stands – one at the Industrial Supply show and another at MDA – Motion, Drive & Automation."