Mexico to take center stage at Hannover Messe

For the second time in three years, North American manufacturing will be on display at Hannover Messe in Germany in April. 

In 2018 Mexico will be the Partner Country at Hannover Messe, and at the official press preview of the event on Feb. 6, officials from Mexico and Hannover Messe touted the unique value offered by the first Latin American nation to have Partner Country status. “Mexico is one of the most sought-after investment destinations globally,” said S. E. Rogelio Granguillhome, the Mexican ambassador to Germany, in remarks to more than 200 global journalists covering the press preview. “During the current administration of President Peña Nieto, Mexico has received $163 billion, generating more than three million jobs in different economic sectors.”

In 2016, the United States was the Partner Country at Hannover Messe when President Barack Obama appeared at the show. Deutsche Messe CEO Dr. Jochen Köckler praised Mexico while noting the changes in the U.S. trade relationships with Mexico since that time.

“We see you have been having a few difficulties with your trading partner north of your border,” Köckler said to Granguillhome. “Perhaps they will realize your value as an investment partner. The U.S. was the Partner Country two years ago, one with a president who we were happy to have here. This year Mexico will be demonstrating that in Mexico, there are fantastic opportunities for investment. Thank you for being a fantastic partner.”

Touting significant changes in Mexico in the areas of educational and energy investments, Granguillhome said the Mexican message at Hannover Messe will be built around the strengths of the manufacturing sector. “Mexico will not only show its industrial prowess at Hannover Messe, but also its innovation prowess to the world,” he said. “Mexico has proven to the business community worldwide that it is not a low-cost investment platform, but rather that Mexico is a competitive industrial hub.”

The United States still will have a major role in global trade events in 2018. For the first time, Hannover Messe USA will be presented as part of the 2018 IMTS Show held in Chicago Sept. 10-14. Hannover Fairs USA has presented a co-located industrial automation event for the past three biennial cycles at IMTS, but this will be the first time the show will be branded as Hannover Messe USA.

CFE Media is the Media Partner for Hannover Messe USA and will present its Global Automation and Manufacturing Summit (GAMS) on Sept. 12 in conjunction with Hannover Messe USA.

For the first time in almost 20 years, the German Hannover Messe will be co-located with global material handling and logistics show CeMat when the show is staged from April 23-27. The CeMat event runs every two years and Hannover Messe officials noted how industrial automation and logistics are becoming a single system. 

“Everybody wants to have everything right now,” said Köckler “These events show the opportunities we have in intralogistics as they relate to speed and customization. The boundaries are disappearing. We no longer have just logistics and just industry; the two are merging together.”

We believe the two trade fairs will mutually enrich one another,” added Dr. Klaus-Dieter Rosenbach, chairman of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association, based in Germany. “Our vision is a fully autonomous system that defines its own tasks.” 

Bob Vavra, content manager, Plant Engineering