Frankfurt am Main, 10. Februar 2026. – Following three compact and exciting days, NORTEC has come to a close. From 3 to 5 February, a whole host of decision-makers and project planners streamed into Hall A4 of Hamburg’s trade fair ground.
There was thus no doubting that NORTEC 2026 had further strengthened its position, despite the current challenging economic conditions, as a focused, pioneering trade fair for industry in the north of Germany. “The decision taken in 2024 to streamline the event and create a more focussed and compact trade fair has proven to be the right one. The trade fair has shown that, even during turbulent times, it represents a reliable platform for the industrial SMEs,” confirms Roland Bleinroth, President of Messe Stuttgart. Dr. Markus Heering, Managing Director of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association), and co-organiser of NORTEC, stressed the relevance of dialogue: “NORTEC 2026 has once again shown how important direct communication is for this industry. During conversations with exhibitors, it became clear how valuable common direction and practical solutions have become, especially in such challenging times. Hamburg has once again proven to be more than up to the task of hosting this successful dialogue.”
Exhibitors appreciate the quality of visitors
Over the past three days, NORTEC has predominantly attracted key decisionmakers from the manufacturing sector. Sascha Gersmann, Head of Marketing & Key Account Manager at Citizen, confirmed this: “NORTEC provides a platform for productive dialogue and close proximity to the customer. This is a level playing field where the exchanges are intense – which is exactly what leads to successful results.” Jan Oltmanns, Exhibition and Showroom Specialist at Mitutoyo, also regards NORTEC as a key industry get-together with high-quality visitors. “NORTEC draws all the important players to the one place and is generally regarded as an event not to be missed for so many companies based here. The trade fair attracts highly qualified professionals, among them the engineers, procurement specialists, plant managers and decision-makers who are actively searching for solutions and partnerships.”
With an overall rating of 2.0, NORTEC 2026 once again left a good impression on its visitors. Markus Horn, Managing Director of Paul Horn GmbH, summed it up: “Every year I’m positively surprised at the variety and detail of the conversations had here – especially with regard to specific applications. It is evident that the demand for innovation, new solutions – or even special solutions – and partnership support is increasing. For us, NORTEC is not an event to be missed – we’re already looking forward to 2028!”
Electronics manufacturing and medical technology well represented
The electrical and electronics industry was particularly well represented this year, with a considerable increase recorded by NORTEC organisers. For Rehm Thermal Systems GmbH, this trend was clearly noticeable: “From the conversations we had, it was obvious that far more professionals from the electronics manufacturing sector had come to NORTEC – which is a great sign. The new 22-metre-long production line, in which we were involved, caters perfectly to this visitor trend and provides an ideal opportunity for gaining valuable practical insights.” The medical technology sector was also well represented. “We are noticing a growing interest from those in the medical technology sector. We secured plenty of great connections and lead acquisitions during our time here,” explains Sascha Gersmann from Citizen.
