Let’s be honest—trying to get a full picture of everything going on at Hannover Messe in just a day or two is almost impossible. It’s absolutely massive. But even with a short visit, there were a few big themes that really stood out to me, and I wanted to share the ones that sparked my interest most, both from a tech and geopolitical angle.

AI is everywhere now

One thing was crystal clear: AI isn’t just the buzzword of the moment anymore, it’s being baked into real industrial solutions. I saw loads and loads of examples where AI is actually being used to make manufacturing smarter and more efficient.

Delta Electronics had some interesting stuff on show relating to smart factories—including cobots (yep, collaborative robots) working alongside humans, all tied together with platforms like NVIDIA’s Omniverse. It’s the kind of tech that would’ve felt sci-fi a few years ago, and now it’s here.

Then Lenovo backed it up with some fresh research. Turns out manufacturers are doubling down on AI investment, especially in Europe and the Middle East. They’re seeing real results—better decisions, smoother customer experience—and want more of that. Can’t blame them!

AI meets sustainability (and it’s a strong match)

I was also struck by how much sustainability and AI are starting to go hand in hand. Siemens hosted a talk that really stuck with me, all about using AI-powered tools to design greener, more sustainable products—without losing the profit part of the equation. Smart and responsible? Yes please.

Rockwell steps up with digital twins and robots

And speaking of big players making waves—Rockwell Automation had a seriously impressive showing. What really grabbed me was their new Emulate3D® Factory Test™ system, which lets engineers run full virtual tests on factory automation setups before a single cable gets plugged in. It’s built using NVIDIA Omniverse, so we’re talking proper high-fidelity digital twins here.

Rockwell also rolled out some clever kit with AWS to bring cloud-based smarts to the factory floor, and teamed up with GEA to show off a slick separator system for the brewing world. Oh, and their OTTO autonomous mobile robots? Super nimble and ready for the shop floor of the future. Loads of good PR material in there for anyone keeping an eye on Industry 4.0.

The global picture: Canada steps up

Now, from a geopolitical PR lens, one of the more interesting parts of the show—particularly against the US sanctions backdrop—was Canada’s role as the partner country this year. It’s always fascinating to see how countries use platforms like this to position themselves, and Canada really leaned into the innovation and clean tech angle.

There were also wider conversations happening about how Europe (and its allies) need to be more strategic economically in the face of global competition. With all the industrial policy shifts going on, these kinds of alliances are going to matter more than ever.

So, what’s my takeaway?

If I had to sum it up: Hannover Messe 2025 was very much about where industry is going, not where it’s been. AI’s not just a promise anymore—it’s being rolled out in real ways. But it’s also being paired with sustainability and bigger-picture thinking, which gives me hope we’re not just chasing efficiency, but doing it with purpose.  And for those of us in PR, this means plenty of stories worth telling—because when innovation and values collide, that’s where things get interesting.

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