Berlin, April 21, 2026 (Lusa) - Portuguese companies are taking part in the Hannover Messe to strengthen international contacts, at an event described by participants as “the world’s largest industrial fair”, which serves as a gateway to the German market.
Hannover Messe, which began on Monday and ends on Friday, brings together thousands of exhibitors in engineering, energy, technology and digitisation as a leading global industry showcase.
Azitek, one of the three dozen companies included in the Portuguese delegation, is participating as an exhibitor for the first time, as it expands across Europe.
"This year we are investing in European expansion and decided it was the right time to focus on trade fairs and events," partnership and expansion manager Tomas Proença told Lusa.
He said Hannover Messe is "the world's largest industrial trade fair" and, as Germany is a difficult market to enter without knowing the language, we thought it would be a good move.
The company is primarily seeking technical and operational contacts.
"We want to talk to people involved in the problems we want to solve, planning and logistics managers, who have their 'hands on'," Proença said, highlighting a real-time tracking system developed from scratch that is "highly scalable, robust and durable."
ISQ, Portugal's Technological Interface Centre, is focusing participation on promoting sustainable industrial solutions, particularly energy efficiency and decarbonisation, while seeking new business opportunities abroad.
"It is the world’s largest industrial fair, where the main players are present, and an important place to understand the latest developments and establish contacts," ISQ commercial director António Nascimento said.
The International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) is participating for the second time to strengthen international visibility and attract new partnerships.
"It is a strategy for us to have increasing visibility within the international community," Hélder Lopes from the technology transfer office said.
Solutions include a sensor measuring hydrogen in real-time in natural gas networks, which technicians are currently testing in semi-industrial environments, and a seismic monitoring platform with applications for different sectors.
"More than that, we came to promote the institute's capabilities more broadly," he said, highlighting areas from "life sciences to energy."
Portugal's contingent also includes companies like VLASERON, which is attending the fair for the first time to anticipate economic recovery.
"It is a counter-cyclical move, we want to be there when the recovery happens," export manager Pedro Simoes said.
The company, which exports about 49% of its production, seeks to strengthen its presence in German market by presenting sheet metal processing solutions.
Portugal's participation in Hannover Messe remains in line with previous years, with about 30 companies and entities.
In 2025, metallurgical and mechanical engineering exports to Germany reached €3.9 billion, a 6.7% increase over 2024.
JYD/LYT // AYLS
Lusa
