In less than three weeks, NORTEC – the trade fair for production – will open its doors from February 3 to 5 in Hamburg. Visitors can expect a comprehensive and diverse program on current topics from the production industry.
Overview of the trade fair for production: Numbers and facts
Everything under one roof: In Hall A4 of the Hamburg Messe, visitors will find 170 exhibiting companies from Germany and abroad on approximately 8,347 square meters. This makes NORTEC a versatile insight into the entire manufacturing chain – from machining to digital automation. More than 40 program points will provide a compact overview of technologies, trends, and impulses for the upcoming production year at NORTEC 2026 through expert forums, live demos, and practical workshops. Twelve program and network partnerships from science and practice represent the strong network of the northern German production industry at NORTEC 2026. For the first time, Paul Horn GmbH will be on board as a 'Prime Industry Partner' and supports NORTEC as a reliable partner of the manufacturing industry.
Making production smarter: Simulation forum and BME Purchasing Day
The future of production is also digital: 'Simulation, AI, and Metaverse' is the motto of this year's 23rd Northern German Simulation Forum, organized by the CAE Forum. 'Simulation is yesterday, today, and tomorrow a central driver of innovation in the production industry,' emphasizes Dirk Pieper, initiator and moderator of the CAE Forum. The forum showcases practical and forward-looking applications of simulation for manufacturing companies.
'Participants will learn how digital methods from FEM to process simulation solve concrete industrial challenges. The goal of the CAE Forum is to promote independent, cross-industry and cross-software knowledge transfer, strengthen networks, and actively advance the transfer of research results into industrial practice,' Pieper continues. Contributions range from the development of new FEM solvers to frequency-optimized components for large research facilities to innovative forming processes and numerical analyses in the aerospace context. Participants will gain in-depth insights into how simulation enhances efficiency, innovation, and competitiveness in industrial production.
Artificial intelligence as a driver
Under the title 'Supply Chain Intelligence – The Future of Material-Based Decisions with AI', this year's BME Purchasing Day focuses on data-driven decision-making. At a time when supply chains are becoming more complex and volatility is part of everyday life, experts will demonstrate through concrete examples how artificial intelligence creates transparency and makes risks detectable early.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Andreßen, BME Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein, explains: 'Artificial intelligence increasingly enables companies to analyze material, market, and supplier data holistically and link it with quality data. This makes price risks, bottlenecks, and alternatives visible early: decisions in purchasing are made significantly faster, more informed, and smarter. Participants of our BME Purchasing Day at NORTEC will experience concrete practical examples and applications for their own company.'
A highlight of the BME Purchasing Day program is the practical report from Airbus on February 5 at 10:00 AM: Under the title 'Cleared for takeoff – Artificial Intelligence in the Supply Chain: Use Cases at Airbus', Dr. Jens Heidrich, Senior Manager Supply Chain Conformance at Airbus, will present concrete cases from the aerospace industry. Pre-registration for the BME Purchasing Day is required by February 1: Registration
Voices from practice: Innovations for production
What practical solutions and innovations are the exhibiting companies bringing to NORTEC? Whether machining, automation, or start-up – at the fair, companies will show how production can become more efficient, digital, and sustainable.
For the area of machining and machine tools, ZCC Cutting Tools will participate in the fair for the first time. Martin Sprung, Manager Marketing & Business Development ZCC Cutting Tools, emphasizes: 'ZCC Cutting Tools Europe is participating in NORTEC for the first time because we see this fair as an important platform for the manufacturing industry in the region and believe that the fair will re-establish itself for personal and targeted exchange with decision-makers from industry, SMEs, and crafts.' The focus is on machining: 'As a partner of the industry, we have been working for decades to optimize processes and improve profitability in machining, including in aerospace, energy, oil and gas, and shipbuilding. That is why we are naturally bringing our current innovations to Hamburg, including the new PANGU cutting material grades. We look forward with great anticipation to the upcoming fair days and are excited about inspiring conversations, new contacts, and joint steps towards the future of production.'
The company Jörg Wappler Werkzeugmaschinen OHG looks optimistically towards the fair start in Hamburg. Franz Wappler, Managing Partner of Jörg Wappler Werkzeugmaschinen OHG, emphasizes: 'NORTEC means for us: Experience efficiency live. With the DNX 2100S from DN-Solutions, we will showcase a modern turning/milling center for 6-sided complete machining.' The first German trade fair for production in 2026 is 'the perfect setting to discuss future-proof manufacturing and automation with customers from northern Germany,' Wappler continues.
Young companies are also providing important impulses for the manufacturing industry at NORTEC. The REFACTUM GmbH presents itself as an innovative start-up for production. With their solution, managers and senior personnel from manufacturing can automate the calculation of up to 70 percent of parts. Jesko Hermann, Co-Founder of REFACTUM GmbH, explains: 'Modern manufacturing must not fail due to slow offer creation, estimation errors, and manual work preparation. We want manufacturing companies to be able to focus again on what they do best: producing.' Additionally, the start-up helps avoid negative contribution margins due to miscalculations, thus increasing the success rate of offers, as excessive safety buffers become unnecessary. When asked what drives him, Hermann describes: 'Machining is far more than just an industry for us. It is the backbone of the German middle class and thus a central pillar of our economic strengths. Precision, quality, and reliability 'Made in Germany' are created right here.'
Contact:
