Chancellor Merz visits HARTING

Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz learned about the highlights of the HARTING Technology Group at the Hannover Messe. Accompanied by a delegation comprising Federal Minister for Economics and Energy Katherina Reiche, Lower Saxony’s Minister-President Olaf Lies and EU Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis, Merz visited the HARTING stand early in the morning. The focus was on solutions for a resilient and sustainable energy supply, smart digitalisation and flexible automation. On the evening of the first day of the fair, the Technology Group briefed journalists on current business developments and the outlook for the current financial year.

Federal Chancellor Merz and the delegation were shown, among other things, secure connections for energy storage systems. HARTING itself is relying on this technology. In cooperation with the start-up Reverion, a fuel cell pilot plant is currently being built at the Espelkamp site, which will complement the existing biogas and photovoltaic systems. Initially, the plant will convert locally produced biogas directly into electricity, thereby making the energy supply at the Espelkamp site even more efficient and climate-neutral. In future, it will also temporarily store the renewable energy generated in the form of green hydrogen and convert it back into usable energy as required. What makes it special: The plant boasts an exceptionally high electrical efficiency of up to 80 per cent. Inside, it also features connectors from HARTING: Han^® HPR housings and Han^® Modular inserts.

“The new fuel cell plant represents another step for us towards climate neutrality and energy independence. This will enable us to prevent supply bottlenecks in the future,” explains Philip Harting, CEO of the HARTING Technology Group. He emphasised this point during the press conference at the stand, in light of the geopolitical landscape, ongoing trade conflicts and the increasing regionalisation of value chains. “Industry and the economy are undergoing profound changes. It is essential to make early adjustments and take advantage of the resulting opportunities,” explains Philip Harting. “Our vision, ‘We want to shape the future with technologies for people’, provides us with direction beyond short-term developments. Because one thing is certain: progress still requires reliable connector and cable solutions for the transmission of power and data,” says the HARTING CEO.

The Technology Group’s business is currently developing positively. HARTING expects revenue growth of more than 10% for the current financial year 2025/2026 compared to the previous year’s result (€1.1 billion). “We had already forecast an upward trend. This is currently continuing. This is due not least to the fact that we are sustainably positioned, have a global presence and operate locally close to our customers.”

At HANNOVER MESSE 2026, the Technology Group will demonstrate how modern connection technology intelligently links energy systems, data flows and automated processes. This seamless interaction results in robust, scalable and efficient industrial system solutions that can be flexibly adapted to new requirements.

Energy resilience: At the trade fair, the HARTING Technology Group will demonstrate how resistant energy structures can be built. This includes components that ensure a secure power supply, flexibly control loads and integrate decentralised supply concepts. This allows supply fluctuations to be balanced out and energy to be used more efficiently.

Scalable manufacturing systems: Modularity and flexibility are crucial for modern production concepts. In Hanover, HARTING is showcasing connection technology that makes it easier to expand, network or retrofit machines and systems. Standardised interfaces and robust, flexible cabling make manufacturing processes dynamically adaptable – from small production cells to networked plant networks.

Future-proof connection technology: As digitalisation advances, the demands on industrial communication systems are increasing. During the trade fair week, the technology group will showcase solutions that reliably transmit high data rates and can be integrated into existing industrial environments. In doing so, they support the development of network infrastructures that can be planned for the long term, even in demanding industrial environments.

Digital tools: Digital tools help users to plan industrial applications more quickly, configure them more flexibly and document them more transparently. HARTING is presenting new tools that simplify engineering processes, support decision-making and provide valuable data throughout a product’s entire lifecycle. This helps to reduce development times and make processes more efficient.

You will find HARTING in Hall 27, Stand J50, from 20 to 24 April 2026.