INTERSCHUTZ 2026 consolidates its position as the world’s leading platform for civil protection as international visitor share increases significantly.
Hannover, Germany. INTERSCHUTZ 2026 delivers across the board. With around 140,000 visitors from 144 countries, the world’s leading trade fair for firefighting, rescue services and civil protection sent a clear message from 1 to 6 June: the safety and resilience of our societies are among the defining issues of our time. The strong international attendance particularly demonstrated the growing demand for exchange, innovation and global cooperation. “The importance of fire and rescue services and civil protection is more deeply embedded in people’s minds today than ever before – and this is true around the world,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe AG, on Saturday at the exhibition grounds in Hanover.
“Our customers made it clear in advance that they expected us to increase the share of international visitors at INTERSCHUTZ. We have achieved that goal. Compared with 2015, the proportion of international visitors has almost doubled, rising from 13 to 24 percent. This result underscores INTERSCHUTZ’s central role at a time when resilience and civil protection are gaining importance worldwide. By deciding to place civil protection at the heart of the exhibition, we set the right course for the event’s success at an early stage. The industry’s response has validated that strategy,” Köckler added.
With 1,772 exhibitors from 55 countries and around 120,000 square meters of occupied exhibition space, the world’s leading trade fair for firefighting, rescue services and civil protection reaffirmed its position as the most important international gathering for the sector. “INTERSCHUTZ is addressing the issues that matter most in today’s world. Its relevance has never been greater. The sector’s remarkable capacity for innovation, the high concentration of international decision-makers, the strong demand at the exhibitors’ stands and the broad public interest all demonstrate that these topics have gained significance far beyond the professional community. More than that, they have become key pillars of a resilient society and are attracting greater attention than ever from both industry and policymakers,” Köckler concluded.
The challenges posed by natural disasters, extreme weather events and hybrid threats have never been greater. “At INTERSCHUTZ 2026, solutions to these challenges could be found in one place as nowhere else in the world,” said Köckler. “In that sense, the show’s guiding theme, ‘Safeguarding Tomorrow’, set the pace for all six days of the event.”
Resilience is no longer a question of the future
With their products and solutions, the exhibitors of the international blue-light community turned INTERSCHUTZ 2026 not only into a marketplace for innovation and technology, but above all into a strategic turning point for safety and security. “The security and operational readiness of our society are increasingly determined at the local level – by well-trained, hands-on people who take responsibility and help others when it matters most; by capable organizations that are working together more closely across borders; and by modern products and technologies that protect emergency responders, accelerate decision-making and ultimately save lives,” Köckler concluded.
Closer civil-military cooperation was more visible than ever at this year’s event. The daily presentations by Colonel (General Staff) Armin Schaus, Head of Division J9 (Civil-Military Cooperation), Bundeswehr Operational Command, attracted considerable attention as he outlined the ‘Operationsplan Deutschland’ (Germany Operations Plan). In his presentations, he explained why the resilience of government, business and society has become a decisive factor in today’s security environment. Another example of the increased focus on preparedness for a wide range of crisis and disaster scenarios was the premiere of a modular bunker system, which drew significant interest from visitors.
Innovation is not an end in itself – the industry has confidence in the future
Vehicle manufacturers, equipment suppliers and providers of personal protective equipment (PPE) are investing heavily in research and development. Yet the message is not simply “more technology” but rather “greater impact in operations.” Once again, INTERSCHUTZ proved to be the ideal platform for the direct exchange of experience between practitioners and industry. Throughout all six days of the event, commercial and non-commercial exhibitors came together to foster the vital dialogue between manufacturers and users that defines the blue-light community. “The exceptionally strong demand for solutions and innovations at exhibitors’ stands demonstrated that the industry is ready to actively shape the challenges of the years ahead,” said Köckler.
“Anyone looking for innovation comes to INTERSCHUTZ. Nowhere else will they find a comparable range of high-performance technology for fire and rescue services. Nowhere else is the dialogue between manufacturers and users, between fire services, industry and municipal decision-makers, given such prominence,” said Dr. Tobias Ehrhard, Managing Director of the Firefighting Technology Association within the VDMA Firefighting Technology Association. The association is an institutional partner of the world’s leading trade fair, alongside the vfdb and the German Fire Services Association (DFV). “The outstanding response to INTERSCHUTZ 2026 once again demonstrates that Hanover is, and will remain, the driving force and guiding compass for modern firefighting and resilient civil protection,” Ehrhard added.
“Nowhere else does such an intensive exchange take place between education and research, industry and frontline emergency responders as here at INTERSCHUTZ in Hanover,” said Dirk Aschenbrenner, President of the vfdb. “At the same time, it is important to me to emphasize the contribution of the non-commercial partners and exhibitors, whose commitment is a key factor in the success of this world-leading trade fair.”
According to Karl-Heinz Banse, President of the German Fire Services Association (DFV), INTERSCHUTZ 2026 has generated strong momentum across the fire service community – particularly with a view to the future. “Emergency responders are ready, and industry is providing us with practical, mission-oriented technology. The fire service community is drawing closer together and approaching the challenges ahead with confidence. In the current situation, that is truly encouraging,” said Banse.
Digitization and AI continue to set the pace
Across nine exhibition halls and several outdoor exhibition areas, two transformative megatrends were on full display: the ongoing digitization of emergency services and the widespread integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into rescue and civil protection infrastructure. One example was the latest generation of emergency control room technology. Exhibitors showcased highly intelligent systems capable of analyzing emergency calls across multiple languages within seconds, automatically generating critical situational assessments and coordinating emergency responders with unprecedented precision. Robotics systems designed to make emergency operations safer and more efficient also attracted significant attention from visitors. Other key themes included sustainability and the impact of climate change. The latter was highlighted by the premiere of the WildfireCamp, which focused on technologies and solutions for the early detection and prevention of vegetation and wildfires, as well as tools that support responders in combating such incidents when they occur.
Strong interest in the DRK’s “mobile field hospital”
Exhibitors and visitors alike expressed high levels of satisfaction. Alongside emergency vehicles of every kind and equipment for a wide range of operational scenarios, one of the standout attractions was a mobile field hospital presented by the German Red Cross, which occupied an area of 3,000 square meters. “Despite all the technological advances on display, INTERSCHUTZ demonstrated one thing above all: at the heart of everything are the people who take responsibility and help others,” said Köckler. A packed supporting program featuring expert conferences, live demonstrations, exciting rescue competitions and interactive activities once again made INTERSCHUTZ 2026 both an emotional and professional highlight for emergency responders from around the world.
Köckler added: “INTERSCHUTZ 2026 was marked by a tragic incident. During the FireFit Championships Europe, a professional firefighter passed away. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, fellow firefighters and colleagues, as well as all those who knew him. The entire INTERSCHUTZ community joins in mourning this loss.”
The next INTERSCHUTZ will take place from 20 to 25 May 2030 at the exhibition grounds in Hanover.
