High-caliber supporting program delighted participants
New benchmarks, in-depth content and an enthusiastic industry: Celebrating its 25th anniversary, E‑world energy & water at Messe Essen presented itself stronger than ever. More than 37,000 trade visitors – a new record – gathered information at Europe’s leading trade fair for the energy industry. They were welcomed by 1,136 exhibitors – also a new benchmark and an increase of 16 percent – showcasing their solutions for energy supply. Key topics included the energy transition in connection with security of supply, as well as the applications of new storage technologies and artificial intelligence.
“These intense three days of E‑world once again showed how important face-to-face exchange is for the energy industry. Full exhibition halls and conversations at all levels—including between politics and business—and the fact that seven out of ten visitors are decision-makers with strong purchasing and procurement authority send a clear message: E‑world is where the energy transition becomes tangible,” said Stefanie Hamm, Managing Director of E‑world GmbH.
Her fellow Managing Director Sabina Großkreuz added: “We are particularly pleased with the increase in international participation. For the first time, more than 30 percent of the companies came from abroad. Among our visitors, the share rose to around 30 percent. This underlines the importance of E‑world as a leading international event that transcends borders.”
E‑world 2026 welcomed participants from 126 nations—an increase of 50 compared to the previous event. Trade visitors from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, and Belgium were particularly well represented. Participants primarily came from the sectors of energy suppliers, municipal utilities, service providers, commercial customers as well as research and development.
Exhibitors showcased innovations for the energy transition
Across six exhibition halls plus the connecting Galeria, E‑world presented the full spectrum of the energy industry. International and regional energy suppliers were represented alongside leading industrial companies, consultancies, research institutions, associations and technology and IT providers. Younger companies and start-ups in particular increasingly used E‑world as a stage: Compared to last year, both the number of exhibitors and the exhibition space in the innovation area increased by 40 percent.
The energy transition was the key focus of exhibitors’ presentations. Exhibitors demonstrated how artificial intelligence and more powerful storage solutions help producers and consumers efficiently manage the use of energy – especially from renewable sources. Visitors also saw photovoltaic systems designed for large-scale use on parking areas or storage sites, as well as concepts enabling municipalities to advance the energy transition within their communities. Companies also presented innovations to protect critical infrastructure – for example, AI-supported security technology – as well as new smart meter devices for households that optimize energy management.
At the opening press conference on the first day of the trade fair, Mona Neubaur, NRW’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy; Kerstin Andreae, Chair of the Executive Management of BDEW (German Association of Energy and Water Industries); Ursula Heinen-Esser, President of the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE); and Dr. Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE AG, provided an overview of the topics currently shaping the industry. These included, in particular, the recently adopted power plant strategy, the capacity mechanism, security of supply for consumers and planning certainty for providers.
Strong response to the supporting program on all trade fair days
These and many other aspects were also discussed at the four well-attended forums located directly in the exhibition halls. They provided popular opportunities for dialogue and exchange. On the first day of the trade fair, Tobias Goldschmidt, Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature, addressed the topic of splitting Germany into price zones.
On the day before the trade fair, more than 70 experts discussed current industry topics at the Energy Leadership Meeting. Participants included Andreas Mundt, President of the German Federal Cartel Office; Klaus Müller, President of the Federal Network Agency; and Dr. Christoph Müller, CEO of Amprion GmbH, among others.
Further expansion of high-performance fiber-optic networks was the focus of the 8th Fiber Optic Forum. The organizers—BREKO (German Broadband Association), conIenergy, and MICUS Strategic Consulting—put together a diverse program featuring best-practice examples, panel discussions and expert presentations.
E‑world proved itself as a platform for international exchange at the Day of Consulates on the Wednesday of the trade fair. More than 50 representatives from 18 nations came together to learn about innovations, discuss potential cooperation and connect with exhibiting companies.
The first Municipalities Day – E‑world’s new offering for cities, municipalities and municipal companies – was also well attended. On the third day of the trade fair, participants took the opportunity to learn about practical, implementable solutions and success stories from the energy transition and to network with each other and with suitable exhibitors. The final day of the trade fair once again featured Career Day. More than 1,500 registrations were recorded for E‑world’s career event, where young talents connected with companies to discuss entry-level opportunities and career paths.
E‑world will expand again in 2027
The trade fair’s offerings and the presence of market leaders were very well received by trade visitors. As early as now, nine out of ten participants said they plan to attend the next E‑world, which will take place at Messe Essen from February 16 to 18, 2027.
For the first time, exhibition halls 7 and 8 as well as the East Entrance will also be available. The expanded exhibition area will create more space for the future-focused topic “Resilient Infrastructure.” Solutions for resilient energy and infrastructure systems will be showcased there – from IoT and sensor technology to IT security and robotics.
Exhibitor interest is high. Ninety-five percent of companies were satisfied with their participation at the trade fair. Many have already signaled their intention to take part again, and numerous new companies have announced their participation in E‑world 2027.