Industry 4.0 is more evolution than revolution: Hanover Fair chief

HANOVER — The so-called "industry 4.0" is more evolution than revolution, according to chief of the Hanover Fair 2017, the world's leading industrial trade show, which runs from Monday to Friday.

"Technical developments need time. We are talking about revolution, but it's more evolution. The developments you can see here are done step by step," Jochen Koeckler, a member of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe responsible for the trade fair, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

From April 24 to 28, more than 6,500 exhibitors from 70 nations and regions will present technologies for tomorrow's factories and energy systems in Hanover Fair 2017, themed "Integrated Industry - Creating Value".

Koeckler explained that creating value means visitors, also investors of technology, have to understand and accept that there is a value in the integrated industry. Investors will only invest when they know that with their investments they will be more competitive.

Being asked whether robots would make people jobless, Koeckler said humans in the factory will be the core of the production. He believed that robots in the future would be more like a tool and that more people are needed to program robots and to be the guide of robots in the factory.

"In the center of decision or factory, it is still the human being. Handwork and boring work would be the history," Koeckler said, adding, "we have to be aware of life-long education and learning."

According to Koeckler, China is absolutely remarkable with more than 1200 exhibitors at the fair. "Everyone sees and feels how strong China is with the program China 2025 in the topic of industry 4.0 digitalization of the industry."

Hanover Fair celebrated its 70th year and is expecting around 200,000 visitors this year. some 60 percent of these exhibitors come from countries outside Germany this year. China is the second largest exhibiting nation both in terms of the number of exhibitors and the size of exhibiting area.

"We are increasing our partnership between Deutsche Messe and China. We are very optimistic about our future of cooperation," he said.