Deutsche Messe - Experts & Thought Leaders

INTERSCHUTZ 2026 delivers across the board. With around 140,000 visitors from 144 countries, the world’s pioneer trade fair for firefighting, rescue services and civil protection sent a clear message from 1 to 6 June: the safety and resilience of the societies are among the defining issues of our time. The strong international attendance particularly demonstrated the growing demand for exchange, innovation and global cooperation. “The importance of fire and rescue services and civil protection is more deeply embedded in people’s minds today than ever before – and this is true around the world,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe AG, on Saturday at the exhibition grounds in Hanover. Important international gathering “Our customers made it clear in advance that they expected us to increase the share of international visitors at INTERSCHUTZ. We have achieved that goal. Compared with 2015, the proportion of international visitors has almost doubled, rising from 13 to 24 percent. This result underscores INTERSCHUTZ’s central role at a time when resilience and civil protection are gaining importance worldwide. By deciding to place civil protection at the heart of the exhibition, we set the right course for the event’s success at an early stage. The industry’s response has validated that strategy,” Köckler added. With 1,772 exhibitors from 55 countries and around 120,000 square meters of occupied exhibition space, the world’s pioneer trade fair for firefighting, rescue services and civil protection reaffirmed its position as the most important international gathering for the sector. Broader public interest “INTERSCHUTZ is addressing the issues that matter most in today’s world. Its relevance has never been greater. The sector’s remarkable capacity for innovation, the high concentration of international decision-makers, the strong demand at the exhibitors’ stands and the broad public interest all demonstrate that these topics have gained significance far beyond the professional community. More than that, they have become key pillars of a resilient society and are attracting greater attention than ever from both industry and policymakers,” Köckler concluded. The challenges posed by natural disasters, extreme weather events and hybrid threats have never been greater. “At INTERSCHUTZ 2026, solutions to these challenges could be found in one place as nowhere else in the world,” said Köckler. “In that sense, the show’s guiding theme, ‘Safeguarding Tomorrow’, set the pace for all six days of the event.” Strategic turning point With their products and solutions, the exhibitors of the international blue-light community turned INTERSCHUTZ 2026 not only into a marketplace for innovation and technology, but above all into a strategic turning point for safety and security. “The security and operational readiness of our society are increasingly determined at the local level – by well-trained, hands-on people who take responsibility and help others when it matters most; by capable organizations that are working together more closely across borders; and by modern products and technologies that protect emergency responders, accelerate decision-making and ultimately save lives,” Köckler concluded. Civil-military cooperation Closer civil-military cooperation was more visible than ever at this year’s event. The daily presentations by Colonel (General Staff) Armin Schaus, Head of Division J9 (Civil-Military Cooperation), Bundeswehr Operational Command, attracted considerable attention as he outlined the ‘Operationsplan Deutschland’ (Germany Operations Plan). In his presentations, he explained why the resilience of government, business and society has become a decisive factor in today’s security environment. Another example of the increased focus on preparedness for a wide range of crisis and disaster scenarios was the premiere of a modular bunker system, which drew significant interest from visitors. Personal protective equipment Vehicle manufacturers, equipment suppliers and providers of personal protective equipment (PPE) are investing heavily in research and development. Yet the message is not simply “more technology” but rather “greater impact in operations.” Once again, INTERSCHUTZ proved to be the ideal platform for the direct exchange of experience between practitioners and industry. Throughout all six days of the event, commercial and non-commercial exhibitors came together to foster the vital dialogue between manufacturers and users that defines the blue-light community. “The exceptionally strong demand for solutions and innovations at exhibitors’ stands demonstrated that the industry is ready to actively shape the challenges of the years ahead,” said Köckler. Resilient civil protection “Anyone looking for innovation comes to INTERSCHUTZ. Nowhere else will they find a comparable range of high-performance technology for fire and rescue services. Nowhere else is the dialogue between manufacturers and users, between fire services, industry and municipal decision-makers, given such prominence,” said Dr. Tobias Ehrhard, Managing Director of the Firefighting Technology Association within the VDMA Firefighting Technology Association. The association is an institutional partner of the world’s leading trade fair, alongside the vfdb and the German Fire Services Association (DFV). “The outstanding response to INTERSCHUTZ 2026 once again demonstrates that Hanover is, and will remain, the driving force and guiding compass for modern firefighting and resilient civil protection,” Ehrhard added. Frontline emergency responders “Nowhere else does such an intensive exchange take place between education and research, industry and frontline emergency responders as here at INTERSCHUTZ in Hanover,” said Dirk Aschenbrenner, President of the vfdb. “At the same time, it is important to me to emphasize the contribution of the non-commercial partners and exhibitors, whose commitment is a key factor in the success of this world-leading trade fair.” According to Karl-Heinz Banse, President of the German Fire Services Association (DFV), INTERSCHUTZ 2026 has generated strong momentum across the fire service community – particularly with a view to the future. “Emergency responders are ready, and industry is providing us with practical, mission-oriented technology. The fire service community is drawing closer together and approaching the challenges ahead with confidence. In the current situation, that is truly encouraging,” said Banse. Civil protection infrastructure Across nine exhibition halls and several outdoor exhibition areas, two transformative megatrends were on full display: the ongoing digitisation of emergency services and the widespread integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into rescue and civil protection infrastructure. One example was the latest generation of emergency control room technology. Exhibitors showcased highly intelligent systems capable of analyzing emergency calls across multiple languages within seconds, automatically generating critical situational assessments and coordinating emergency responders with unprecedented precision. Robotics systems designed to make emergency operations safer and more efficient also attracted significant attention from visitors. Other key themes included sustainability and the impact of climate change. The latter was highlighted by the premiere of the WildfireCamp, which focused on technologies and solutions for the early detection and prevention of vegetation and wildfires, as well as tools that support responders in combating such incidents when they occur. Wide range of operational scenarios Exhibitors and visitors alike expressed high levels of satisfaction. Alongside emergency vehicles of every kind and equipment for a wide range of operational scenarios, one of the standout attractions was a mobile field hospital presented by the German Red Cross, which occupied an area of 3,000 square meters. “Despite all the technological advances on display, INTERSCHUTZ demonstrated one thing above all: at the heart of everything are the people who take responsibility and help others,” said Köckler. A packed supporting program featuring expert conferences, live demonstrations, exciting rescue competitions and interactive activities once again made INTERSCHUTZ 2026 both an emotional and professional highlight for emergency responders from around the world. Köckler added: “INTERSCHUTZ 2026 was marked by a tragic incident. During the FireFit Championships Europe, a professional firefighter passed away. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, fellow firefighters and colleagues, as well as all those who knew him. The entire INTERSCHUTZ community joins in mourning this loss.” The next INTERSCHUTZ will take place from 20 to 25 May 2030 at the exhibition grounds in Hanover.

INTERSCHUTZ, the world’s pioneer international trade fair for fire and rescue services as well as civil protection, will take place in 2030 from 20 to 25 May at the exhibition grounds in Hanover. The organiser, Deutsche Messe AG, announced this on 20 May 2026. “By setting the new date at an early stage, we create planning certainty for exhibitors, partners and visitors worldwide,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO Deutsche Messe AG. Central platform for innovation “INTERSCHUTZ continues to strengthen its position as a central platform for innovation, exchange and international collaboration in the fields of fire services, rescue services and civil protection. With its unique combination of exhibition, conference program and live demonstrations, it will not only bring together international decision-makers, emergency responders and experts in Hanover from 1 to 6 June 2026, but again from 20 to 25 May 2030.” The three partner associations of the industry also welcome the scheduling: Karl-Heinz Banse, President of the German Firefighters Association (DFV): “The decision on the new INTERSCHUTZ date 2030 is a strong signal of reliability and forward-looking planning. For fire services in Germany and beyond, it provides early planning certainty and gives us the opportunity to further develop innovation, training and cooperation in a targeted way. We expressly welcome this step.” Clear framework for orientation Dirk Aschenbrenner, President of vfdb (German Fire Protection Association): “The new INTERSCHUTZ 2030 date opens up valuable prospects for research, development and transfer into practice. Particularly in civil protection, it is crucial to think long-term and to systematically advance innovation. The scheduling strongly supports this ambition.” Martin Zaindl, Chairman of VDMA Firefighting Technology: “By setting the INTERSCHUTZ date 2030, the sector gains a clear framework for orientation. This is an important foundation for driving technological developments forward in a focused way and making them visible internationally. For firefighting technology, this means additional planning certainty.” Dr. Jochen Köckler concludes: “Looking ahead to 2030 underlines the long-term perspective – yet the future is already being written at INTERSCHUTZ 2026. We are already looking forward to welcoming exhibitors and visitors from around the world, and to experiencing the largest INTERSCHUTZ of all time together.”

Dense smoke, flames in the undergrowth, crackling brushwood – and right in the middle, emergency responders battling against time and the forces of nature: these are images from incidents that regularly make headlines around the world. INTERSCHUTZ 2026 (June 1–6 in Hanover, Germany) will, for the first time, bring this threatening reality to life with the WildfireCamp@INTERSCHUTZ. Much like a real operation, visitors will experience a dynamic platform where innovative solutions for the early detection, prevention, and suppression of wildfires are presented in both theory and practice. Experiencing a dynamic platform “Driven by climate change, which is one of our key focus topics, we decided to launch this premiere,” says Thilo Horstmann, Head of INTERSCHUTZ at Deutsche Messe AG. “The camp is far more than a simple product showcase. It has been designed by recognized experts.” The four strong partners – Bosch Building Technologies, the European Forest Institute (EFI), @fire, and IMBOS e.V. – have played a key role in developing and preparing the WildfireCamp@INTERSCHUTZ, which brings together decision-makers, emergency responders, and technology providers. “We want to help create a global ‘wildfire community’ where responders and technology providers can exchange ideas on equal footing,” Horstmann emphasises. “This is where the ‘turning point’ in civil protection becomes tangible.” Vehicle-based firefighting In this context, the “Xplore” will also be unveiled for the first time – a mobile command unit in the form of an incident command vehicle that is fully equipped for resilient operations, combining the latest technologies from sensor systems to satellite connectivity. It is the result of collaboration between companies from various technology sectors, brought together by IMBOS e.V. Together with the four partners, a total of 20 national and international companies will present their solutions for various operational scenarios, including CAL FIRE, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The demonstrations are divided into five sections: pre- and post-fire management, vehicle-based firefighting, aerial support, ground crews, and special operational options. “Each section provides hands-on insights into different aspects of firefighting and gives visitors a comprehensive understanding of the respective operational areas,” says Horstmann. Direct application potential In addition to practical live demonstrations in the outdoor area between Halls 26 and 17, the “Command Post” forum (Hall 17, Stand F06) offers a central platform for in-depth information: through expert presentations and panel discussions, visitors can gain insights daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. into operational strategies, new early detection technologies, prevention measures by the European Forest Institute, and the digitalisation of incident command. Practical workshops and training sessions also provide opportunities to learn proven firefighting and prevention tactics and techniques – with direct application potential. The networking area in the outdoor Wildfire Camp serves as a meeting point for anyone looking to exchange ideas with emergency responders, developers, political decision-makers, and forest owners.