Hannover. The exhibitors at Digital Factory present a full array of solutions for tomorrow's smart factories – for example, virtual product development systems, production planning and control software, data exchange concepts and predictive analysis tools. This leading trade fair for IT solutions and integrated processes continues to meet with keen interest, as evidenced by sustained growth in terms of booked space. As one of the shows held under the umbrella of HANNOVER MESSE 2017, Digital Factory will occupy roughly 11,000 square meters (approx. 118,403 sq. ft.) in halls 6, 7 and 8. In response to high demand, Digital Factory will also fill additional space in Hall 17.

Arno Reich, Director of Digital Factory, attributes this growth to the thematic and structural enhancement of the event: "Digital Factory is firmly embedded in HANNOVER MESSE, the only trade show worldwide which features the entire industrial value chain. It is the ideal place to present IT solutions and processes for industrial applications." The exhibit lineup embraces classical CAD systems, artificial intelligence and cloud services. "The accompanying forums and conferences – above all the Industry 4.0 Forum in Hall 8 – have become high-caliber events and increase the attractiveness of Digital Factory," explained Reich.

"HANNOVER MESSE is an absolute 'must' for all those who cannot afford to miss out on the benefits of smart digitalized production," emphasized Rainer Glatz, Director of the Software Organization at the VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Association). "Industry 4.0 is the dominant topic in every sector."

Hall 6 is devoted to CAx and PLM and features leading players such as Autodesk, BITKOM, Dassault Systemes, EPLAN Software & Service, IGE-XAO, PTC and Siemens Software. The "Additive Manufacturing" display category has been transferred to Hall 6 and is now located in closer proximity to the CAD exhibitors and the Lightweight Construction display under the umbrella of Industrial Supply. ARBURG, HP, Stratasys and EOS will provide an overview of the latest developments in 3D and 4D printing. On 27 and 28 April leading experts will come together at the 3rd Additive Manufacturing Symposium at the Convention Center (Room "Heidelberg"). A further highlight is the CAE Forum: the central platform for numerical simulation, 3D visualization and 3D printing/scanning. In total, Digital Factory in Hall 6 has grown by 500 square meters (nearly 5,400 sq. ft.).

In Hall 7 the spotlight will be on MES and ERP. BOSCH, IBM, Microsoft and SAP have all increased the size of their presentations. The exhibitor lineup in Hall 7 also includes INTEL, Software AG and Huawei. Manufacturing execution systems (MES) will be presented by various exhibitors, including MPDV and Forcam. PSI Automotive & Industrie will showcase its ERP solutions. The cloud computing specialist Amazon Web Services (AWS) will be exhibiting for the first time at Digital Factory – on the open-air site between halls 7 and 14 at the southern end of the grounds. At the International MES Conference experts will come together to address the question: "Is Industry 4.0 (im)possible without MES?" This conference will take place at the Convention Center (Room 3A) on Thursday, 27 April. It will be followed by a guided tour of the MES solutions and discrete production systems on display at Digital Factory and Industrial Automation.

The Beijing International Intelligent Manufacturing Exhibition will take place from 10 to 12 May 2017. Digital Factory will boast its own pavilion under the umbrella of Industrial Automation. The exhibits will comprise CAD, ERP and SCM software, plus solutions for additive manufacturing, process integration, PLM, visualization, MES and industrial cloud services.