HANNOVER (dpa-AFX) - The Hannover Messe closes on Friday with a stable number of visitors. Deutsche Messe AG announced in an initial evaluation on Friday that 130,000 visitors had come to the exhibition center over the five days of the fair, the same number as last year. Trade fair boss Jochen Kockler expressed his satisfaction. The company had thus achieved its own visitor target.

Around 4000 exhibitors from 60 countries had presented their innovations since Monday. The world's largest industrial show focused on artificial intelligence, climate-friendly production, solutions for the energy transition and hydrogen as an energy source. Numerous technology companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, Dell, SAP, Siemens and Bosch were also represented. There were also a number of SMEs and over 300 start-ups.

"In the current difficult economic environment, this year's Hannover Messe is an important mood booster," said Gunther Kegel, President of the German Electrical and Digital Manufacturers' Association. The German Engineering Federation was also satisfied. The exhibitors had shown "how factories can be controlled more intelligently, how climate protection can progress faster with modern means of production and how autonomous systems can make production safer and more efficient on many levels," said Managing Director Thilo Brodtmann.

Norway was the partner country of the trade fair. Among other things, contracts were signed in Hanover for the transportation of hydrogen and the storage of carbon dioxide under the North Sea. In 2025, the industry show will take place from March 31 to April 4. The partner country will then be Canada.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the trade fair attracted significantly more visitors. In 2019, 215,000 people attended. In 2020, the exhibition was canceled for the first time since it was founded in 1947 due to the pandemic. In 2021, it only took place digitally. In 2023, it took place in its usual format again for the first time./fjo/DP/jha