German Chancellor Angela Merkel Visits Beckhoff Booth

Summary

April 14, 2014 - As part of her traditional opening-day tour of Hannover Messe, German Federal Chancellor, Angela Merkel visited the booth of Verl, Germany-based Beckhoff Automation on Monday, April 7. Among the delegation accompanying Chancellor Merkel was Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, this year’s official partner country of Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial fair. At the Beckhoff booth, Managing Director, Hans Beckhoff presented the latest technology and business updates from his company as well as the core PC-based solutions available to implement Industry 4.0 concepts. Angela Merkel was also accompanied by Johanna Wanka, German Federal Minister of Education and Research; Stephan Weil, Prime Minister of the German state of Lower Saxony, along with 50 more guests and about 100 journalists. Hans Beckhoff and roughly 200 Beckhoff employees welcomed the illustrious delegation. After a short presentation on his company, Hans Beckhoff explained the components of his company’s control and drive technology, using trade show demo concepts made by his company as examples. With innovative systems such as PC-based control and EtherCAT, the automation company provides the underlying technologies for “Integrated Industry”, the motto of this year’s Hannover Messe. Beckhoff Automation covers this subject in great detail in its booth with the special “Industry 4.0 Forum”, where demonstrations show that PC-based control already delivers the core technologies, functions and services needed to implement the Smart Factory today. At the end of his presentation, Hans Beckhoff also mentioned the status of the “ScAut” research project, which the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has named a “Leading-Edge Cluster” in the “it’s OWL” (Intelligent Technical Systems OstWestfalenLippe) technology network. As the consortium manager, Beckhoff Automation explores with the ScAut (Scientific Automation) project how engineering-related findings from a wide range of disciplines can be integrated into automation technology in order to make technical systems more intelligent. Angela Merkel visited the Beckhoff booth for the first time at Hannover Messe 2008.   Beckhoff Automation is a provider of advanced and open automation solutions based upon proven technologies for customers to implement high performance control systems faster and at a lower overall cost than traditional PLC and motion control systems. Beckhoff’s “New Automation Technology” product range includes PC-based control, industrial PCs, automation controllers, operator interfaces, I/O, servo drives and motors. With representation in more than 60 countries, Beckhoff is well-positioned to provide global sales and service to its customers. Beckhoff sales and service are handled directly, with no intermediaries involved for exceptional customer service and consultation.