• 30,642 trade visitors from 113 countries
• Foreign share of visitors increases by leaps and bounds
• Optimistic mood in the trade fair halls
• AUTOMATICA expands its leadership role

 
Munich. With 30,642 visitors, AUTOMATICA 2010 provided important stimuli for the economic development of the automation industry. AUTOMATICA, International Trade Fair for Automation and Mechatronics, took place in Munich from 8 to 11 June 2010 and presented the world's largest range of products in robotics and automation. It expanded its leadership role and again attracted decision-makers and experts from the whole world.
 
High number of visitors from foreign countries
The good results were reflected in a very high number of trade fair visitors and an increase in the number of foreign guests. Overall, 32,2 percent of the visitors came from other countries, which represents a substantial increase of 26 percent compared to 2008. The visitors came from 113 countries. In addition to Germany, the highest number of visitors came from Austria, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, France, Slovenia, the USA, Spain, Great Britain and Denmark.
 
Top grades from visitors
The representative survey conducted by the independent institute TNS infratest clearly demonstrated visitor satisfaction: AUTOMATICA is a leading trade fair for 88 percent of the visitors. 94% of the exhibitors assessed AUTOMATICA 2010 as “excellent to good”. 92 percent of the visitors gave top grades for the completeness of the range of offers.
Dr. Michael Zürn, Senior Manager Process Engineering at Daimler AG, also confirmed this: "AUTOMATICA is extremely important for us as an innovation platform. It presents all automation technologies and state-of-the-art of developments. Very many of our employees are here to see what there is. AUTOMATICA is the trade fair for us."
 
All key players present again 
The results among exhibitors underline the importance AUTOMATICA as a leading international trade fair of the automation industry. AUTOMATICA 2010 recorded 708 exhibitors. The trade fair took place in four completely filled halls on 44,000 sq. m. The share of foreign exhibitors was 32 percent. A total of 42 countries were represented. The satisfaction of the exhibitors is also reflected in the survey results. 96 percent praised the excellent mood in the halls and 77 percent the high quality of visitors.
 
VDMA Robotics and Automation and Messe München optimistic and very satisfied
The exhibitors summed up the results as positive and are looking optimistically to the future and the current year 2010, following the difficult year of 2009. For example, Thilo Brodtmann, Managing Director of the German VDMA Robotics + Automation remarked:
"Current two-figure growth in the number of orders received as well as stimuli, which are coming from the very successful AUTOMATICA 2010, makes us confident that our growth forecast in the amount of five percent for this year can be adjusted upward. The dynamics, which the market is currently demonstrating, should shorten the catch-up race to the best industry turnover figures of the years 2007/2008.
It was also shown during the trade fair that the initiative Green Automation appropriately describes one of the decisive growth fields for our industry. The challenges presented by energy and resource efficiency as well as economical production of "green" products can only be mastered by increased use of intelligent automation technology."
 
Norbert Bargmann, Deputy CEO of the Executive Board of Messe München, is proud of the good trade fair result: "The high number of foreign trade fair visitors reflects the international significance of AUTOMATICA. I am very happy that our international marketing efforts have paid off. Our goal was to become even more international. The top decision-makers were there. We achieved this together with VDMA Robotics + Automation and the exhibitors. The alliance with the exhibitors worked well. AUTOMATICA came at the right time to promote the upward trend and business deals."
 
AUTOMATICA shows the future for Robotics and Automation
The visitors were impressed at the stands and special exhibitions by the great variety of innovations. Many exhibitors again used AUTOMATICA as a platform for European or world premiers. Leading institutes presented outstanding research results, which provided an impressive outlook for the future with numerous exhibits.
Prof. Gerd Hirzinger, Director of the Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), explained: “AUTOMATICA is absolutely the top trade fair in the area of Robotics and Automation for us, where we try to show all of our innovations and to which we have coordinated our development cycles. The number of visitors was overwhelming this time, with highly competent visitors not only from Europe, but also from the USA and Asia. We also used AUTOMATICA to intensify our collaboration with industry partners, including with respect to new application areas such as surgery robotics. “
 
Arne Lakeit, Production and Plant Planning Manager at Audi AG; also explained,: "I find the wide range of topics, which are offered at AUTOMATICA, to be extremely interesting. Not only the developments from robotics, but also many areas of automation are presented here. The exhibitors do justice to this demand at AUTOMATICA."

Several platforms provided an outlook of future topics. Experts, researchers and users discussed at the AUTOMATICA Forum or obtained information within the scope of the initiative "Green Automation" about the capability of the industry to produce in a green way and produce green products.
Programme highlights were:

• The "Service Robotics Innovation Platform"
• The three-day double congress "ISR/ROBOTIK 2010", which is considered the most important robotics conference worldwide.
• The two-day SAMPE congress about the challenges of lightweight construction and fibre composite technology.

 
The next AUTOMATICA will take place from 12 until 15 June 2012.

• Opinions about AUTOMATICA 2010 are available here

• Photo material for AUTOMATICA are available here

 

Robotics, Hall B2	Robotic Impressions, Hall  B2	Robotics, Hall A2
Service Robotics Innovation Platform, Hall A2	Assembly, Hall A1	Green Automation, Hall B 2

 
About AUTOMATICA
International Trade Fair for Automation and Mechatronics
AUTOMATICA is the first and only international trade fair, which covers all areas of robotics + automation every two years. It has taken place on the grounds of the New Munich Trade Fair Centre every two years since 2004. The aim of the fair is to present the entire value-added chain in robotics and automation. Messe München GmbH and VDMA Robotik + Automation, trade fair industry advisor, are behind the industry-driven concept of AUTOMATICA. Exhibitor and visitor statistics for AUTOMATICA are audited by an independent auditor for the order of the Gesellschaft zur Freiwilligen Kontrolle von Messe- und Ausstellungszahlen (Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics) and internationally by UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry).
 
About Messe München International (MMI)
Messe München International (MMI) is one of the world’s leading trade-fair organisations with approximately 40 trade fairs for investment goods, consumer goods and new technologies. More than 30,000 exhibitors from more than 100 countries and over two million visitors from more than 200 countries take part each year in the trade fairs in Munich. In addition, MMI organizes trade fairs in Asia, Russia, the Middle East and South America. With six foreign affiliated companies in Europe and Asia as well as 64 foreign representatives covering more than 90 trade fair-relevant countries, MMI has a global network. As a company active globally, Messe München International makes a substantial contribution to environmental protection and sustainability. Additional information is available at www.messe-muenchen.de
 
Contact person for the press

AUTOMATICA
Claudia Huber - Press Officer
Tel. (+49 89) 949 - 20862
Fax (+49 89) 949 - 20869
E-mail: claudia.huber@messe-muenchen.de
 
VDMA Robotik + Automation
Thilo Brodtmann, Managing Director, VDMA Robotics + Automation
Tel. (+49 69) 6603 - 1590
Fax (+49 69) 6603 - 2590
E-mail: thilo.brodtmann@vdma.org
www.vdma.org/r+a