At its stand at Hannover Messe, Bruchsal-based SEW EURODRIVE used the final assembly of an automobile to illustrate how digitalization and networking are impacting industry, processes in production facilities and therefore jobs. Processing stations that can be flexibly positioned are networked with each other using intelligent, mobile assistance systems. Stations and assistance systems share information and data via mobile data networks. They support assembly workers ergonomically, provide information on specific assembly processes and aid quality control with the help of augmented reality. The workers can focus completely on their core tasks and are relieved of physical-ly demanding and monotonous tasks. Production processes and work content can be flexibly adapted to meet market requirements, depending on the order situation. This increases work content and makes it more diverse, while intelli-gent systems reduce pressures.

The extent to which digitalization is transforming production lines and assem-bly processes, for example in automobile production, is naturally of interest to politicians, too. This is reflected in the high visitor numbers at the SEW EURODRIVE stand. The Managing Directors of SEW EURODRIVE provided information for a number of visitors from the German Federal Minis-try for Economic Affairs and Energy. On Monday, SEW Managing Director Udo Aull welcomed Ulrich Nussbaum, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Thilo Brodtmann, Executive Director of the VDMA (German Engineering Federation), to the SEW stand. On Wednesday, a 40-strong delegation from the same ministry visited the stand to get information from the company.

On Monday, European Parliament representatives also got first-hand infor-mation from SEW EURODRIVE. For example, Aull welcomed EU parliamen-tarian Reinhard Bütikofer, member of the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. On Tuesday, EU commissioner Günther Oettinger and German Federal Minister Peter Altmaier met for discussions with Johann Soder. Politicians at regional, federal and EU level need to re-spond proactively to technology-related changes within companies so as to bring people up to speed, provide them with comprehensive information and involve them in the transformation. Skills and training in particular are key concerns for companies in this context. This is an area where politicians at various levels can issue guidelines and provide impetus, as hoped for by Aull in his remarks to Bütikofer. Representatives of industrial associations were also looking for first-hand information. Professor Dieter Kempf, President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), was among those who met with Aull to learn about the revolutionary changes in industry, their effects and the resulting areas of action for the federation. On Tuesday evening, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Baden-Württemberg's Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor and Housing, had discussions with Soder about how companies benefit from digitalization and the stimulation needed from politicians to realize those bene-fits. She was also interested in the efforts and options necessary to success-fully establish artificial intelligence in manufacturing processes and how politi-cians at different levels can shape the appropriate conditions to ensure Ger-many and Baden-Württemberg remain successful industrial locations in the future.

These changes offer significant advantages for everyone involved. Digitaliza-tion is making it quicker and easier for the manufacturing industry to flexibly adapt to changing consumer habits. Employees' jobs in factories are becom-ing less physically demanding and more varied, as technology helps them with their work. This is exactly what is demonstrated so impressively at the SEW EURODRIVE stand in the example of the e.GO electric vehicle produc-tion line. The Bruchsal-based technology company is thus one of the primary drivers of digitalization and Industry 4.0 in Germany and Europe.

Delegations of visitors and government representatives from all over the world also visited the SEW EURODRIVE stand, including industry representatives and ambassadors from China, Japan, France, Kazakhstan and Mexico.