HANNOVER MESSE is set to bring global industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers into sharp focus as around 80 international speakers take to the Center Stage during the event. The speaker line-up features pioneers, top executives, scientists, and political decision-makers who have pushed boundaries through innovation and, in doing so, have played a key role in advancing industrial production worldwide.
Throughout the exhibition, these speakers will offer exclusive insights into their work, share hands-on experience from the field, and provide clear direction on where the industrial sector is headed. Their sessions are expected to address both immediate challenges and long-term transformations shaping the future of manufacturing and industrial ecosystems.
Among the first confirmed speakers is Cedrik Neike, Executive Board Member at Siemens AG and CEO of Digital Industries. In his role overseeing Siemens’ automation and industrial software businesses, Neike is leading efforts to bridge the physical and digital worlds of manufacturing. His presentation will highlight how artificial intelligence is transitioning from concept to real-world industrial application, delivering tangible improvements in competitiveness, sustainability, and operational resilience.
Also joining the Center Stage is Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, who will address the evolving dynamics of the global security landscape and their impact on the defense industry. As rapid advances in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, drones, and hypersonic technologies reshape defense requirements, Papperger will outline how Rheinmetall is adapting to these technological and geopolitical shifts to remain competitive on the international stage.
The speaker line-up further includes Amy Webb, futurologist and CEO of the Future Today Institute, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading voices on future trends. Webb will examine how technological, economic, and geopolitical developments are increasingly converging, underscoring the need for companies to adopt scenario-based thinking rather than linear forecasting. Her session will explore the influence of artificial intelligence, emerging data economies, and global risk factors on the industrial landscape of the coming decade.
Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture, is also among the confirmed speakers at the Center Stage, where she will address the growing need for manufacturing companies to align technological transformation with organizational change. Sweet will emphasize that adopting advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data platforms alone is not sufficient to ensure long-term success. According to her, these technologies deliver sustainable value only when they are supported by a strong culture of innovation and a clear commitment to developing and empowering talent, making people and technology equally critical to future readiness.
Another confirmed speaker is Dr. Pablo Erat, Director of LightSpray at On AG, representing the Swiss premium sports brand known for its unconventional approach to industrial innovation. On’s LightSpray initiative reflects a shift from traditional product innovation toward platform-based industrial thinking. Under Dr. Erat’s leadership, LightSpray is advancing a manufacturing technology that fundamentally simplifies sportswear production by replacing manual processes with automation, fragmented workflows with digital integration, and globally dependent supply chains with localized manufacturing. The initiative demonstrates how the convergence of robotics, material science, and a strong innovation mindset can not only reshape products but also transform entire business models.
Organizers have confirmed that additional speakers for the Center Stage program will be announced in the coming weeks.
HANNOVER MESSE
HANNOVER MESSE is the world’s leading trade fair for industry. Around 3,500 exhibiting companies from the electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, digital, and energy sectors come together there to present solutions for a competitive and sustainable industry. The main exhibition areas are Automation & Digitalization, Energy & Industrial Infrastructure, and Research & Technology Transfer. The topic of artificial intelligence is a common thread running through all exhibition areas. A diverse conference program enhances the fair. The next edition will run in Hannover from April 20 to 24, 2026. Brazil is the partner country.
