The Hannover Messe is one of the most important international events for industry, technology and innovation - and was another important milestone for us in the 2025 trade fair year. As a specialist for solenoid valves and customized special solutions, we use the opportunity to talk to customers, partners and experts from all over the world, to pick up on trends and to gain new impulses for our product development. In this interview, CEO Michael Staudacher talks about his personal impressions and the strategic insights we took away from five intensive days at the trade fair.
Hannover Messe 2025 is now behind us - what are your personal conclusions? What goals had you set yourself - and were they achieved?
We usually pursue 3 goals at the trade fair. 1. Finding new customers and sales partners, which we also achieved at this year's Hannover Messe. Now we are immediately starting to implement projects that have already been discussed and to work out details together with new partners. 2. meetings with suppliers to find out what's new and to optimize our supply chain. 3. technical discussions with partners and new faces to get impulses from the industry.
What major industry trends were particularly evident at the trade fair?
In contrast to previous trade fairs, no particular trend was discernible this time. However, I noticed a growing interest in large proportional valves, for which there is very little on the market. Our innovative solution for this comes from electronics and is based on summing up the flow rates of parallel connected valves.
Customized solutions are an important part of your business model. What was the response to this at the trade fair? Do you sense a growing demand for individually developed solutions?
The interest in customized solutions continues unabated. At the moment, it is often a question of finding a solution for discontinued products from other manufacturers, which we then implement in the form of a special solution. In general, it can be said that dealers and manufacturers always strive to find a solution for the customer. A customized solution is often the perfect product.
Have there been any new sectors or fields of application that have shown a surprising amount of interest in your products?
Not really. This is certainly also due to the current economic crisis, in which fewer projects are being implemented and therefore fewer engineers are looking for solutions.
Which of your products or developments attracted particular interest from visitors?
Small valves that take up very little space, especially our Type 12 and Type 31 product ranges. High-pressure valves were also in great demand again.
Were there any topics where you had the impression that your company is particularly well positioned - perhaps even ahead?
Absolutely. Our flexibility and customer service is a success factor for us and our partners.
How important are personal encounters for your business, especially in an area like yours that requires technical explanation?
The trade fair allows projects to be discussed and then recorded in writing. This is the best way to start a project, as facial expressions and gestures are used to exchange information, which is not possible in the digital world. As long as people make decisions and take action, personal encounters will never lose their importance. After all, you simply feel more connected to someone you have already met and call a friend or partner.
Have you been able to generate new partnerships or concrete leads?
Yes, quite a few. We are now entering into concrete discussions with these companies and people.
What conclusions will you take away from the trade fair - both for your product portfolio and for your strategic orientation?
Personal contact with partners, customers and suppliers is still very important and the trade fair offers a good opportunity for this. From a sales perspective, however, it remains to be seen whether the trade fair will continue to offer a good platform for initiating business if visitor numbers continue to fall. We will try to expand the product portfolio, particularly in the ATEX area, and offer new solutions for 3/2-way valves. A number of projects are already underway for high-pressure valves, which may also be of interest to contacts from the Hannover Messe.
So Hannover Messe 2025 has once again shown how valuable personal exchange and direct dialog on site are. We are returning with new contacts, exciting discussions and concrete project approaches. At the same time, the discussions have reinforced our strategic direction: with flexible customized solutions, technical innovation and a clear focus on customer needs, we create added value - today and in the future. We would like to thank all visitors, partners and discussion partners for their trust and look forward to the joint further development of innovative solutions in the field of solenoid valves.
