Interview with Philipp Steinberger on the key topics of HANNOVER MESSE 2023

As an international industrial trade fair, Hannover Messe showcases innovations that drive sustainability and digitisation and thus pave the way for the industry of the future. Wöhner leads the way and appreciates the central platform to present pioneering solutions made in Germany.


"Sustainable solutions are our corporate responsibility" 
Philipp Steinberger is CEO of Wöhner, a company for the intelligent control and distribution of electrical energy based in Rödental, Germany. For over 90 years, Wöhner has stood for innovation and is represented throughout the world with 12 subsidiaries. This year, the supplier is once again presenting its range of products at Hannover Messe, the world's leading trade fair for industry with around 4,000 exhibitors from the mechanical engineering, electrical and digital sectors as well as the energy industry. The focus of this year's event is on solutions for a networked and climate-neutral industry – to which Wöhner also makes an important contribution.


The central topic of this year's Hannover Messe is climate-friendly production. Technologies will be presented that should lead to CO2 neutral production and resource-saving recycling in the medium term. What can Wöhner contribute to this? 

Philipp Steinberger: The question of more sustainability is in line with several challenges that Wöhner is facing. This also includes the current supply chain issue, raw material prices and the digital transformation. We are aware of the challenge and consider it as our corporate responsibility to realise corresponding impulses and solutions. Our innovations enable customers to save energy – for example, through measurement technology that processes large amounts of data with high precision according to the motto "measure, record, make transparent". This allows production processes and supply chains to be optimised. In addition, we save a lot of material even through simulation and calculation in our production and can offer more compact and efficient products. In this way, we reduce the use of resources throughout the entire value chain. Of course, our solutions can also contribute to significantly reduced energy requirements for our customers.


Digitisation may be seen as a challenge by many – but above all, it offers opportunities and new possibilities. What is the current situation at Wöhner?

Philipp Steinberger: It already starts with the basics: Without digitisation of the logistics and production chain, it would not even be possible to predict the ability to deliver, especially in turbulent times. Our very extensive digitisation measures allow us to plan reliably and thus to take the path of advance performance based on our forecast. Digitisation is a condition for our growth – from the forecast-based start of production orders to autonomous means of transport in the factory to semi- or fully-automated production and quality control. To come back to the topic of sustainability: Digitisation is a basic component for reducing our CO2 footprint based on data collection and analysis, all the way to the systematic avoidance of peak loads and energy peaks as well as intelligent internal logistics.


Are there concrete examples for solutions from Wöhner in which the increase of the sustainability factor plays a role?
Philipp Steinberger: One example is our new electronic motor starter MOTUS®C14. Here we use biologically produced plastics for the first time. This saves resources and makes us less dependent on fossil fuels. More or less directly, our energy distribution system CrossBoard® also ensures more sustainability – it supports maximum systematics in the control cabinet through an efficient and resource-saving design and thus the greatest possible energy efficiency with minimum power loss. The CrossBoard® is safe, simple, compatible and fast – and thus stands for a principle that is the basis of our product range: with a modular system, meaning a system with a modular structure, Wöhner can meet individual customer requirements very efficiently, but without a lot of effort. This also contributes to sustainability.


What role does Hannover Messe play for Wöhner?

Philipp Steinberger: Hannover Messe – like all comparable events – has an outstanding function for direct encounters, direct exchange. The trade fair, which is rich in tradition, has an excellent reputation in Germany as well as in the world and a reputation as the definitive showcase for German industry. The times with their challenges, also and above all, need technical solutions. Their providers come together in Hanover – from the major players to medium-sized companies and start-ups. The fact that Hannover Messe 2023 will finally take place 'live' again is a blessing for all involved, nothing less than an "Olympics of innovations" is expected. In addition to the mentioned key topics, it is also about artificial intelligence, hydrogen technologies and Industry 4.0 – only in the interplay of such technologies can climate protection be advanced without significant loss of prosperity.

Direct contact is also elementary for Wöhner. Thus, we repeatedly work out possible solutions to specific problems in proactive dialogue and generally attach great importance to intensive customer relationships based on cooperation in a spirit of partnership. Hannover Messe offers an ideal forum for this.