Hannover Messe 2026: The Time of Execution Is Now

This IDC Perspective discusses the collective theme at Hannover Messe 2026 (HM26) and demonstrates tangible examples of industrial AI functioning effectively on the factory floor. HM26 marked a pivotal shift as industrial AI moved from pilot projects to real-world deployment, fundamentally transforming manufacturing operations. AI is now embedded at the core of industrial systems, with unified data platforms, agentic AI, digital twins, and robotics driving operational efficiency. The event highlighted the urgency of data integration, governance, and workforce readiness, emphasizing that execution speed, rather than technology access, will define future industrial competitiveness."Industrial AI is transforming the manufacturing industry, changing the way companies think about innovation and productivity. Instead of just playing a supporting role, industrial AI is now at the heart of driving efficiency, operational excellence, and helping manufacturers stay competitive," says Gunjan Bassi, research manager, Worldwide Industrial Internet of Things and Intelligence Strategies at IDC."Industrial AI is no longer a future ambition; it is here and now. But what many manufacturers fail to realize is that it's the operating core. It is the differentiator between going from a successful POC to full wide-scale deployment," says Sarah Lee, research director, IDC Manufacturing Insights."Manufacturers that treat execution platforms modernization and industrial AI deployment as separate programs, to be sequenced one after the other, will find that by the time they get to the MES, the AI deployment has already locked them into an architectural pattern that the new MES cannot support. These are one program, and they need to be designed together," says Lorenzo Veronesi, associate research director, Worldwide Smart Manufacturing Strategies at IDC.