Hannover Messe 2026 spotlights AI and robotics with record Chinese participation
Hannover Messe, one of the world's largest industrial trade fairs, has again seen considerable involvement from Chinese companies this year. According to the organizer, cited by the Xinhua News Agency, about 700 Chinese exhibitors are in attendance, cementing China's position as the second-largest exhibitor group after host country Germany. This sustained level of participation underscores both the advances made by Chinese industry in high-tech sectors and the potential for international cooperation.
Held under the theme "Think Tech Forward," Hannover Messe 2026 has attracted about 2,900 exhibitors from more than 50 countries and regions, with industrial artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid robots reportedly taking center stage for the first time.
Chinese companies have made sustained advances in these frontier technology fields in recent years, establishing themselves as an integral part of the global tech landscape. Against that backdrop, their considerable presence at Hannover Messe is hardly surprising. Indeed, it is precisely this broad participation - from Chinese firms alongside other leading international peers - that underpins the event's global standing as Germany's flagship industrial trade fair.
While some European media outlets have played up competitive pressure from China - drumming up unnecessary anxieties rooted in a zero-sum outlook - they tend to overlook the concrete demand coming from Europe's own manufacturers and markets. There is a view within Europe today that the region ought to accelerate AI adoption and use it to strengthen its industrial sector. If world class AI applications, wherever they originate, are accessible to European firms, allowing them to choose what suits their needs and advances their own capabilities, then the real gain will be in European manufacturing competitiveness. That, in the current environment, is exactly what the sector needs.
The application scenarios of China's AI technologies continue to expand, ranging from factories in Germany to logistics centers in the UK, with Chinese companies providing innovative AI solutions tailored to different use cases, the overseas edition of the People's Daily reported in May 2025.
For example, exoskeleton robots developed by a Shanghai-based technology company use AI algorithms to help local employees easily lift heavy objects in the production workshop of a German company in Waldachtal, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The demand for AI tools across European manufacturing is ultimately a market driven one, aimed at reinforcing the manufacturing sector itself. That reality leaves room for cooperation between China and Europe in frontier areas such as AI and robotics. If the zero-sum reflex that surfaces in parts of the European media is held in check, the European economy - and its manufacturing sector in particular - would have much to gain from collaboration of this kind.
This cooperation takes many forms. It goes beyond German manufacturers adopting Chinese products and technologies; it also includes investment in China. Through such varied engagement, the industrial supply chains of China and Germany have grown intertwined and mutually complementary. This is not a zero-sum trade off - one side's gain at the other's expense - but an integration that strengthens both sides, grounded in practical collaboration.
According to Xinhua, the "Invest in China" themed event was held on Monday during the Hannover Messe 2026. Participants from China and Germany exchanged views on topics such as advanced manufacturing, industrial AI, and regional cooperation. They noted that, amid profound adjustments in the global industrial landscape, deepening practical cooperation between the two countries carries real-world importance, and that "investing in China means investing in the future."
Since 2016, the "Invest in China" series of events has been held at the Hannover Messe. This year, the event runs throughout the entire duration of the Hannover Messe. Industrial parks in Chinese provinces and municipalities such as Hunan, Shaanxi, and Beijing will be featured in the exhibition area.
China remains an attractive place for European enterprises to invest. Its sizable and fast evolving market continues to offer opportunities. Some European firms are deepening their industrial AI footprints in China - strengthening AI operating systems, forging partnerships with local companies, and rolling out new products powered by AI.
The presence of Chinese firms at Hannover Messe reflects in tangible form the market forces that drive collaboration. It marks another step in a mutually beneficial evolution, driven by industrial logic.
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