Press Releases

 

Robots, the Internet of Things, virtual simulation systems and control by means of artificial intelligence – this year's MSV confirmed the massive advent of digital technology into industrial practice. All covered areas of the exhibition grounds were sold out and the whole Brno lived with the largest Central European trade show. The exhibits of 1,662 exhibiting companies from 30 countries were seen by more than 81 thousand visitors in five days. The companies were satisfied with both the number and quality of visitors and their interest in the exhibited products.

Government officials at the fair

The importance of this year's MSV was underlined by the presence of almost the entire Czech government, not only at the Assembly of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, which is a traditional discussion forum for employers and the government, but also at the official opening of MSV. The VIP guests of the first fair day included Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Deputy Prime Minister Milan Štěch, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Alena Schillerová, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry Karel Havlíček, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Transport Vladimír Kremlík, Minister of the Environment Richard Brabec, Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Jana Maláčová, Minister of Agriculture Miroslav Toman, and Minister of Education, Youth and Physical Training Robert Plaga.

High interest from abroad and a record-breaking supporting  programme

The attractiveness of the Czech market was confirmed by the exceptionally high participation of foreign companies and experts. 829 companies came from abroad, which means one half of all exhibitors, with the highest representation being had by Germany, Slovakia, China, Italy and Austria. To a large extent, overseas countries such as China, India and Taiwan were represented by collective displays. Japanese and South Korean companies exhibited through their European offices. The fair was visited by a number of foreign delegations and trade missions that came from India, South Africa, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Northern Macedonia and Bavaria.

Already last year's 60th MSV brought a record-breaking number of 79 supporting events and this year we managed to raise the bar even further. In five days, an incredible 91 meetings – conferences, workshops, seminars and panel discussions – took place in a total of 206 hours, which was almost five times more than the total opening hours of the fair. MSV thus confirmed its role as a key discussion platform for promoting innovation and establishing business contacts between Czech and foreign entrepreneurs. Hot topics such as 3D printing, industry digitization and circular economy were addressed. The three-day Contact-Contract B2B project with 289 companies from 23 countries and 500 business meetings was of great interest. The one-day MSV Job Fair and the third year of the MSV TOUR project of organized and guided tours of the expo were also successful.

Digital factory – transformation of industry through your own eyes

The main theme of the Digital Factory 2.0 resonated throughout the fair and solutions aimed at digitizing the industry were on display in all halls. The involvement of robots in manufacturing and automated solutions have long been standard at MSV, but this year's innovation was a shift from purchasing individual technologies to interconnecting them. A special exhibition named Digital Factory was built in Hall A1, where partners, led by Microsoft and ABB, demonstrated the digitization of manufacturing  in practice. Autonomous control through artificial intelligence, mutual communication of production facilities and the use of digital twins as operational agents – the future of industry has been viewed and tested by visitors through virtual reality.  Škoda Auto exhibited here its prototype of the ŠKODA VISION iV electric car. The project was followed by an all-day conference Digital Factory 2.0 – Czech Republic as an industrial power, where leading experts presented phenomena such as machine self-learning or blockchain.

Czech Republic as a partner country of MSV and The Country For The Future

This year, the traditional concept of the MSV partner country gained a new shape when the Czech Republic came to this highlighted position. Hall Z was dominated by the Czech National Exposition The Country For The Future, which demonstrated the economic potential of the country and merged all services for entrepreneurs under one roof. For the first time in history, all state organizations associated with industry or export promotion have exhibited together. There were 13 of them – CzechInvest, CzechTrade, Czech Export Bank, Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank, Czech Development Agency, Export and Guarantee Insurance Agency, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Engineering Testing Institute, Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and the Industrial Property Office. The Czech National Exposition thus offered services and assistance of the state to businesses in every life-cycle, from start-ups and business incubators to export assistance, export financing and insurance to intellectual property protection, testing and certification. There was a continuous supporting program and the new Innovation Strategy of the Czech Republic 2019–2030 was presented in an interactive form.

During MSV, Trade Fairs Brno presented the concept of the Start Me Up festival, which is being  prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The aim of the festival is to connect start-ups and innovative companies with potential customers and investors who traditionally participate in the engineering fair. The Start Me Up festival should be held concurrently  with MSV 2020.

Transport and Logistics together with ENVITECH keep pace with MSV

The 9th Transport and Logistics fair showed that transport and logistics companies are also intensively preparing for the requirements of the digitized industry. There was a lot of interest in participation this year. 115 exhibitors from 12 countries presented themselves in the long-before sold out Hall A2 and the adjacent open areas. The offer of companies focused strongly on IT solutions for logistics, as well as a sample packaging and shipping line presented within the Packaging Live project.

Responsible attitude to the environment and natural resources is becoming an integral part of industrial business. The ENVITECH Environmental Technology Fair welcomed 44 exhibitors from 7 countries this year. The highlight of both ENVITECH and MSV was the Circular Economy as a system for the re-use of materials that we keep in circulation for as long as possible. The topic was addressed by a number of supporting events, including an international conference, on which the Czech Circular Hotspot was founded as a platform for cooperation in introducing circular innovations both on the Czech and global scale.

Most MSV 2019 Gold Medals remained in the Czech Republic

The best exhibits competed once again for the prestigious MSV Gold Medals. The expert evaluation committee handed out  six main awards and one honorable mention. In addition, Professor Jaroslav Kopáček was awarded for his lifelong work. The company Ceratizit was awarded the Gold Medal for innovation in processing technology for its FreeTurn tool. The exhibitor CNC Invest was awarded a prize for production machine innovation – it entered the competition with a twin-axis CNC machine tool with twelve controlled axes. The exhibitor ZKL Bearings CZ and its asymmetrical spherical roller bearing with cassette cage were awarded for component innovation in mechanical engineering. The Airskin soft sheathing by Blue Danube Robotics was awarded for its innovation in automation technology and robotic workplace safety solutions. The StudentCar SCX sports electric vehicle, which was created at VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, was awarded a prize for its innovative design of electric wheel drive. In the category of innovation in automation technology scored digital twin production cells from the Institute of Production Machines, Systems and Robotics of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Brno University of Technology.

Honorable mention in the category of innovations in transport and logistics was received by a smart delivery box called Penguin by the company TEXTILECO. The box is powered by solar energy, includes both indoor and outdoor USB ports, security doors, a light sensor and in the future also an optional refrigerator.

The Press Centre accredited 262 media representatives from ten countries. Incoming journalists' missions came from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Switzerland and Turkey.

The 62nd International Engineering Fair will be held concurrently  with IMT, PLASTEX, FOND-EX, WELDING and PROFINTECH on 5 to 9 October  2020.

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What people said about the fair

Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
I would like to thank all the exhibitors and, of course, the Trade Fairs Brno for the excellent organization of the trade fair. It is great that this exhibition centre was de facto masterminded by our first president, and I think it is important to talk about ourselves, about the Czech Republic and about what we have achieved. 

Karel Havlíček, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic
It's a great fair. It showed the strength of Czech industry and its position in Europe. 

Alena Schillerová, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Czech Republic
As minister of finance, I realize the huge importance of the International Engineering Fair for the economy of our beautiful country.

Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
In the Central European region, MSV is actually the largest trade show of its kind. It is truly industrial and shows that the Czech Republic is keeping pace with the times, that we are already an innovative country and that the 2030 strategy is already being implemented today. 

Jiří Kuliš, CEO, BVV Trade Fairs Brno 
Lots of engineering technologies for the future of industry and only a few rest zones and flower pots. This year's MSV was once again an expo the way it should be. 

Jaroslav Hanák, President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic 
On behalf of the Confederation of Industry, I highly value both the organization of the International Engineering Fair and the excellent participation of companies. The expo confirmed that companies are keeping up with the latest trends, the advent of digitization and new state-of-the-art technologies. 

Vladimír Dlouhý, President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce 

For me, this year's 61st MSV was a traditional example of rapid development and excellent condition of the domestic industry. As in recent years, I was very happy to see for myself how many great companies in the Czech Republic invest in digitization and create so much sought-after added value in their production. 

Oldřich Paclík, Director of the Association of Engineering Technology 
At MSV, the expected decline is not visible. So far it does not seem that a dramatic decline in the industry  should be anticipated. 

Dalibor Kačmář, Director of Microsoft Partner Division for the Czech Republic and Slovakia
We returned to the Brno Exhibition Centre 25 years after Bill Gates had personally visited Invex, but this time as a partner for the Czech industry, where Microsoft is now far stronger than in end user devices and systems. Thank you for the opportunity to come to MSV with the concept of a digital factory, which shows a practical example of how to bring new technologies into real production. 

Sonia Jonášová, Director of the Institute of Circular Economy 
MSV has become  a milestone this year for the theme of circular economy. An incredible number of important and strategic collaborations were established, very important topics were raised in the discussions and individual matchmaking activities within the supporting programs took place. And here was established Czech Circular Hotspot. We believe that the topic of circular economy will remain at MSV and will significantly strengthen.

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Testimonials from exhibitors

Jindřich Vaňous, Country Manager at KUKA
The International Engineering Fair in Brno is a prestigious affair for KUKA. The preparations of the exposition begin basically right after the fair. From MSV, we take several tens of valuable contacts and potential new customers.

Eva Málková, Marketing Manager at ŽĎAS 
For our company, MSV is especially important in terms of promotion. It is an opportunity to show our new products, amaze new customers and demonstrate our strong position in the market.

Thomas Alijew, ALFLETH Engineering, Switzerland
For us, MSV Brno is a traditional and most important expo in Central and Eastern Europe. Here we meet customers not only from the Czech Republic, but from the entire Central European region. I rate this year's very good attendance, including many visitors from Slovakia.

Ivana Geistová, Marketing Manager at Yamazaki Mazak Central Europe s.r.o.
Our annual participation proves that it is a prestigious event in the Czech Republic. High attendance, regular and new customers and a warm attitude are just a fraction of the fair events that we must not miss out.

Jiří Marek, Managing Director at DMG MORI Czech s.r.o.
For our company, it has  always been a tradition to be here. MSV is a fair where it is extremely important to be. It is a meeting place and an opportunity to present new products. When we accidentally find ourselves at a crossroads in which Central Europe is moving in technology, the MSV will always clarify the latest industrial issues and help find a new direction.

Petr Duchoslav, Marketing Manager at FANUC Czech s.r.o.
The week when we are really seen is always in the autumn and always associated with the  International Engineering Fair. It is an opportunity to find out about the trends and main motives that are presented in mechanical engineering in the given year. We always leave MSV full of inspiration and new ideas.

Soňa Alexová, Head of Marketing at Schunk
Because we are a Brno-based company, we consider MSV an event we definitely do not want to miss out. It's about image, isn't it. Next year we will celebrate 15 years on the Czech market and we will surely make this visible at MSV.

Julius Bělička, Commercial Director, Robotika a Automatizace, ABB s.r.o.
The fair is an opportunity for us to present ABB and our partners' projects and to spread awareness among the public that we are an innovative company that focuses its activities on the future. Concerning visitor participation at our stand, we estimate that this year's number and ratio of existing clients to new customers will be at least the same as last year.

Veronika Němcová, Communication Director, Siemens s.r.o.
As a traditional MSV participant, our company uses the fair to meet existing customers and reach out to new customers, whether by presentation at a stand or by participating in supporting program events and panel discussions that have been stimulating.

Hedvika Hendrichová, Misan s.r.o.
MSV always brings something extraordinary for Misan. We find here customers and students of secondary schools and universities, who arrange expert internships or topics for their dissertations.

Libor Kuchař, CEO at KOVOSVIT MAS Management, a. s.
This ingineering fair is an opportunity for us to talk with our partners and customers at one table, whether domestic, or from Scandinavia, Russia or China. We still have it marked as an important item on the calendar every year.

Dr. A.R. Sihag, Ministry of Heavy Industry, India
We came here to bring our exhibitors to make business contracts with Czech partners. We used the International Engineering Fair to introduce our products and also to exchange technological progress. Of course, we also like to look at the innovations in the field of engineering, which everyone is presenting here.

Péter Kiss-Parciu, Deputy State Secretary and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary
It was great that we were able to present our project of  support for cooperation of small and medium-sized enterprizes in Central Europe (CED) among very successful companies at MSV. I believe that Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprizes will make new beneficial contracts during the expo week.

Martin Volný, Sales Representative of Prima Power
This year we are here for our third time on behalf of ourselves and we consider MSV the main event of the expo season in Central Europe. We above all appreciate the opportunity to meet our customers and find new ones.

Zuzana Novotná, Head of Technology and Management at Šmeral
We belong to those few companies that exhibit here for the 61st time. The tradition and importance of this expo is reflected in our company, especially in the fact that we want to present our position on the Czech market to our customers, suppliers and potential workers. It is an opportunity to gain new inspiration and vision for the latest trends in engineering.

Jindřich Kára, Marketing Specialist at Stäubli Systems, s.r.o.
This year we had over 800 registered people interested in our presentation. Just this number tells us how important it is to be at MSV. It is a top expo full of possibilities for establishing new cooperation in the field.

Markéta Búřilová, Fronius
Regular participation at MSV is a great opportunity for us to show everyone that we are a strong company with a leading position on the domestic market. The attendance of MSV again exceeded our expectations so that we could present our applications to all interested people.

Petr Blahut, technical advisor to the customer of BÖLLHOFF SRO 
This year, for the first time, people interested  our presentation had to queue up and wait. From this point of view, it is clearly evident how prestigious MSV is.

Martin Brunclík, Sales Director at ARC-H a.s.
By introducing several revolutionary exhibits in the field of manual and robotized welding this year, we have gained a wide range of contacts and important orders in this field. The fair was unequivocally successful for us, across all of our divisions, especially supplies for Industry 4.0.

Jan Homola, organizer of the Forum of Additive Manufacturing
For the sixth time, we organized a conference on this topic at MSV. The interest of people completely surpassed my expectations, over 400 participants came in. I see this as an indicator of how the 3D printing industry is growing rapidly and dynamically. This year, we focused on 3D metal printing, the most expensive and sophisticated devices designed for demanding customers. Despite the conference's expert nature, nearly twice as many people came compared to what we had planned.

Josef Sláma, CEO of Renishaw for the Czech Republic
We have been going to this fair for twenty-five years with concrete expectations of it, both in terms of communication and developing relationships with our regular customers, and in terms of creating new business opportunities.

Jiří Lebloch, Commercial and Technical Representative, Interoll CZ, s.r.o.
Being at MSV is a matter of prestige and our traditional customers expect to see us again a year on. Of course there are also people dropping by who have not heard of us and who took our products at the stand.

Martin Řehák, Product Coach, Linde Material Handling
This expo is an ideal place to meet customers and have a pleasant discussion about what they want or don't want. I would like to point out that our stand is mainly visited by people with specific questions and an idea of ​​what they need, so this is the right target group for us.

Radek Zajíc, Head of Sales Department, DENIOS s.r.o.
Traditionally we invite our regular customers to the MSV, because during the hectic year it is not always time to meet everyone and talk to each other. Here is the right ambiance, we try to make the most of this opportunity and present our news.

Jiří Malůš, Managing Director, DATRON TECHNOLOGY
I see the benefit of the fair in the continuity, which helps to create our relationship with the customer and strengthen his trust in us as a company. When a customer arrives at the booth for the first year, they return the second and third year to buy the machine, and this is a reflection of seeing how we are evolving, being innovative and not sleeping on our laurels. Thus, the fair represents a space in which we can gradually build relationships into sales success.