Hannover, Germany. Along with the many other topics it covers, HANNOVER MESSE is a robotics fair. While scouring the event's numerous exhibition halls, professional attendees will encounter robots from virtually every market-leading company. Whether it involves industrial robots, collaborative robots or driverless transport systems, these are the symbol of automated production. "We look forward to a strong robotics presence here in Hannover," says Hubertus von Monschaw, Global Director of Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives within the HANNOVER MESSE team. "We have several companies reestablishing their presence at the show, plus numerous stand enlargements. The top themes will consist of cobots and artificial intelligence in robotics. It's exciting to see what happens when advanced robot technology intersects with learning systems."

In recent years, Hall 17 at HANNOVER MESSE has developed into a robotics hotspot and the industry's key networking hub. Among the companies showcasing themselves there in April are such big names like Fanuc , Yaskawa , Stäubli , Universal Robots , Franka Emika , Denso , Yamaha , Mitsubishi , Kawasaki and ABB . Part of this fully booked hall will once again be occupied by the Application Park , where a total of 17 companies will be presenting their innovations in the areas of robotics, automation, image processing, services and software solutions, while driverless transport systems will be showcased in the "mobile areas".

Robotics, mobile robots and human-machine collaboration are also key topics at the Automation Forum , which returns to its familiar location in Hall 14. In a series of 20-minute lectures, industry experts will inform an international trade audience about the latest developments in robotics, modular and electrical automation, frequency converters and motors, drive technology, industrial IT, industrial image processing and identification systems.

Together with the Technology Academy, HANNOVER MESSE is organizing the ROBOTICS AWARD for the ninth time. This prize for applied robotics solutions is aimed at companies and institutions from Germany and abroad who are eligible to compete with any products, projects and technological innovations which have made an innovative contribution to robot-supported solutions in the field of industrial automation, mobile robots or autonomous systems. The winners will receive a communications package worth 10,000 euros. The ROBOTICS AWARD ceremony takes place on Tuesday, 2 April at the Automation Forum in Hall 14.