Drop in British exhibitors at Hannover Messe trade show

Fewer British companies will be exhibiting at Hannover Messe, the world’s leading trade show for industrial technology.

The show, which runs from 23 to 27 April , is expected to draw more than 200,000 visitors and 6,000 exhibitors. This year, Hannover Messe will be combined with the CeMAT trade show for industry and logistics 4.0 for the first time in seven years.

However, there are fewer than 50 British companies involved this year, with a total of 3,000 square metres of exhibition space on the 466,100-square-metre site.

Krister Sandvoss, global director of Hannover Messe and CeMAT, said the drop in British firms could not be explained solely by Brexit. “The need for exchange has not changed,” he said. “Maybe the talk has changed.”

Sandvoss said the combined event would attract around 240,000 attendees, with 30% from outside Germany, and that 5.5m business leads would be generated.

This year, the event is partnered with Mexico, which will be bringing a large delegation, according to Julian Ventura, the Mexican ambassador to the UK. He told journalists that Mexico is now producing more engineers than the UK and Germany.

Mexico is particularly strong in medical technology, and is the eighth-largest exporter of high-tech medical equipment in the world. There is also a growing interest in the recently deregulated energy sector.