Welcome Address: Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe AG

DAY TWO: Welcome Address

Dr. Jochen Köckler

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Chairman of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe AG

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This year in April, together with our partners from GMIS, we planned to stage the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) at Hannover Messe. It would have been a perfect match. The 3,000 participants of GMIS would have had the opportunity to exchange ideas about the challenges and solutions of our industrial future and they would have had the chance to see the technological solutions at the booths of the 6,000 exhibitors of the Hannover Messe.

But due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Hannover Fair could not take place as planned. Therefore, we organised a virtual Hannover Messe in July, just like the virtual version of GMIS. We believe that the partnership between GMIS and Hannover Messe is more important than ever in these times. And the exchange about the impact of the pandemic, but also about what the global industry and 4IR can contribute to overcome this crisis, is crucial.

What is the future of globalisation? Is local the new global? What effects will digitalisation, automation, robotics have in this new era? I am convinced that after these virtual exchanges we will have a clearer picture of the future and will tackle the challenges of our time with new ideas, impulses and a new approach.