Hannover Messe 2025, Germany's leading industrial trade fair, opened on Monday with a strong focus on industrial artificial intelligence, highlighting the technology's transformative role in shaping the future of manufacturing.
Held under the theme "energizing a sustainable industry," the five-day event has drawn more than 3,800 exhibitors from around 60 countries and regions.
Now in its nearly 80th year, Hannover Messe has long served as a key platform for showcasing cutting-edge industrial technology. This year, industrial AI takes center stage, reflecting its growing influence on manufacturing and automation.
One of the winners of this year's Robotics Award is the startup Mantis Robotics from the U.S. Their high-speed industrial robots are fenceless, meaning they don't require any protective cage to be deemed safe.
"You can plug this in anywhere. It has the same footprint as you or I are doing the job. Why? Because it adjusts its behavior in real time to the environment around it, so you don't need fences. It saves a lot of extra cost. So basically, as you approach the robot, what will happen is that it will slow down to an appropriate speed. And as you try to touch the robot, it will stop. [And when you] move away it will resume," said Gerry Vannuffelen, CEO of Mantis Robotics.
Another German tech company showcased their innovative robotics solution that makes manual operations much easier for industrial workers.
"The idea is that we give you support in this particular area. And in that way we transfer the load that would usually go through your spine, right away to your legs. The number one reason why people cannot work anymore is so-called muscular skeleton disorders. And if you look around, if we have one issue in the world right now, it's that we don't have enough people being able to work," said David Duwe, Vice President of SuitX Ottobock Europe.
Beyond AI, the fair also features emerging industries such as digital platforms, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, hydrogen fuel cells, and quantum technology. The event runs through April 5.
Germany's leading industrial trade fair opens with spotlight on AI
Commemorations honoring Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs were held on the banks of the Yalu River in Dandong, Liaoning Province on Tuesday as part of ongoing tributes to those who fought in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953).
The event was held to mark the return of the remains of 12 CPV martyrs, who were killed in the war, from the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Wednesday.
This will be the 13th such repatriation of CPV remains following the handover agreement between the two countries. Since 2014, the remains of 1,011 soldiers have been returned to China from the ROK, according to China's Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
More than 170 representatives, including veteran CPV soldiers, relatives of the martyrs, active-duty personnel, students, and other from various sectors of society, attended the event.
People boarded a ferry which slowly sailed down the Yalu River. Inside the cabin, all present stood in solemn silence as the national anthem of the People's Republic of China was played, and observed a moment of silence in honor of the CPV martyrs.
Then, they walked to the ship's railings one by one and scattered flower petals into the river to pay tribute to the martyrs.
"We, the CPV, went abroad to fight to defend our motherland, the people, and our good life and to resist U.S. imperialist aggression against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). I hope that our young comrades and students today will study hard and make contributions to our motherland," said Hu Changzhe, a CPV veteran.
"I feel deeply moved as these veteran soldiers are heroes who once fought for our country. Now, standing by the Yalu River, looking back on their past and remembering their comrades, they must be deeply touched," said Hong Jialu, a student at a branch of Liaoning Province Shiyan High School.
At the event, 10 student representatives from primary and middle schools read aloud a letter to express their reverence and remembrance for the heroic martyrs through their sincere words and heartfelt recitation.
The Korean War broke out in June 1950, eight months after the People's Republic of China was founded. At the request of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), China sent 2.9 million CPV soldiers to assist the DPRK during the war, of whom more than 360,000 were killed or injured.
Commemorations held to pay tribute to CPV heroes in northeast China
