"$100,000 On-Site Deal at the Expo"... Korean Manufacturing AI in High Demand

KOTRA Operates 'Integrated Korea Pavilion' at Hannover Messe

61 Companies, M.AX Export Contracts Drive Global Expansion

At the Hannover Messe, the world’s largest manufacturing industry exhibition held for five days starting on the 20th, Korean manufacturing artificial intelligence (AI) transformation (M.AX) companies achieved notable progress in expanding their presence in the global market.

KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) announced on the 27th that the integrated Korea Pavilion, operated in collaboration with five organizations including the Industrial Intelligence Association, featured 33 companies specializing in manufacturing solutions with AI and robotics. The event continued to draw significant interest and results from global manufacturing industry stakeholders. More than 3,000 companies from over 60 countries, including ABB and Siemens, set up exhibition booths, and the fair attracted over 120,000 visitors.

The integrated Korea Pavilion at the 2026 Hannover Industrial Fair, operated since the 20th by KOTRA in collaboration with five organizations including the Industrial Intelligence Association. Photo by Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency

This year’s exhibition focused on AI-driven and robotics-based industrial and energy transition, reflecting both AI innovation and the ongoing war in the Middle East. “Agentic manufacturing” and “software-based manufacturing,” where AI oversees everything from production planning to process and quality control, were presented as the future direction for M.AX evolution.

Korean companies showcased their innovative technologies at 61 booths, including the 33 companies participating in the integrated Korea Pavilion. The Korea Pavilion, highlighting South Korea’s strength as a powerhouse in both manufacturing and ICT, attracted visitors with AI-based production automation and optimization, industrial robots, data-driven anomaly detection devices, and the first domestically developed couplings.

Of particular note, Cadian, which became the first company in Korea to localize AutoCAD (automatic drafting software) products dominated by U.S. firms, signed an on-site contract worth $100,000 (approximately 100 million won) with its German distribution partner, Company A. According to Company A, while most alternatives are expensive subscription-based models, Cadian’s product is offered as a perpetual license without usage restrictions and high compatibility, making it promising for market expansion not just in Germany but across Europe.

UNID, which developed the world’s first tool changer robot, garnered attention for its digital pneumatic equipment and subsequently signed an export contract with German robotics company Inmotion Robotics. The purchasing manager from German automation solutions company Company F also expressed strong interest in applying UNID’s product to their electrification and energy efficiency systems.

The Industry 4.0 manager from Embraer, one of the world’s three major aircraft manufacturers who visited the Korea Pavilion, commented, “Korea’s AI-based manufacturing solutions, which are strong in both manufacturing and ICT industries, are expected to drive process innovation. Upon returning home, I will continue discussions with Korean companies that show promise for cooperation in transforming our aircraft factories into smart factories.”

Kang Kyung-sung, CEO of KOTRA, stated, “With the rapid spread of AI and robotics across the manufacturing sector, demand for collaboration with Korean companies—renowned for their innovation in both manufacturing and ICT—is growing not only in Europe but also in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Building on manufacturing AI, we will systematically support our AI industry ecosystem so it can achieve success in the global market.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.