INTERSCHUTZ 2026 Strengthens Its Position as the World's Leading Platform for Civil Protection
With a significant increase in the share of international visitors, INTERSCHUTZ 2026 further strengthened its position as the world's leading platform for civil protection.
Held in Hannover from 1–6 June, INTERSCHUTZ 2026 proved successful across the board. Attracting approximately 140,000 visitors from 144 countries, the world's leading trade fair for fire and rescue services and civil protection sent a clear message: the safety and resilience of our societies have become defining issues of our time.
Strong international participation highlighted the growing demand for exchange, innovation, and global cooperation. Speaking at the Hannover exhibition grounds on Saturday, Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe AG, said that the importance of fire and rescue services and civil protection has become more deeply embedded in public awareness than ever before—and that this applies worldwide.
Köckler noted that exhibitors had clearly expressed their expectation that INTERSCHUTZ should increase its share of international visitors. This objective was achieved. Compared with 2015, the proportion of international visitors almost doubled, rising from 13% to 24%.
According to Köckler, this result underlines the central role of INTERSCHUTZ at a time when resilience and civil protection are becoming increasingly important worldwide. He added that the decision to place civil protection at the heart of the event proved to be the right strategic direction, a decision strongly validated by the industry's response.
With 1,772 exhibitors from 55 countries and approximately 120,000 square meters of exhibition space, the world's leading trade fair for fire and rescue services and civil protection once again reaffirmed its position as the industry's most important international meeting place.
Köckler emphasized that INTERSCHUTZ addresses issues of critical importance in today's world and that its relevance has never been greater. The industry's remarkable capacity for innovation, the high concentration of international decision-makers, strong demand at exhibitors' stands, and widespread public interest demonstrate that these topics now extend far beyond the professional community. They have become fundamental pillars of a resilient society and are receiving greater attention than ever from both industry and policymakers.
The challenges posed by natural disasters, extreme weather events, and hybrid threats have never been greater. According to Köckler, nowhere else in the world were so many solutions to these challenges brought together in one place as at INTERSCHUTZ 2026. In this respect, the event's guiding theme, “Safeguarding Tomorrow,” set the tone throughout all six days of the exhibition.
Resilience Is No Longer a Matter for the Future
Through their products and solutions, members of the international emergency response community transformed INTERSCHUTZ 2026 into more than just a marketplace for innovation and technology. Above all, the event became a strategic platform for safety and security.
Köckler stressed that society's security and operational preparedness are increasingly determined at the local level: by well-trained, hands-on professionals who take responsibility and help others when it matters most; by capable organizations cooperating more closely across borders; and by modern products and technologies that protect emergency responders, accelerate decision-making, and ultimately save lives.
Civil-military cooperation was more visible than ever at this year's event. Daily presentations by Colonel (General Staff) Armin Schaus, Head of Division J9 (Civil-Military Cooperation) at the German Armed Forces Operational Command, attracted considerable attention as he outlined “Operational Plan Germany.”
His presentations explained why the resilience of government, businesses, and society has become a decisive factor in today's security environment. Another example of the growing emphasis on preparedness for a wide range of crisis and disaster scenarios was the presentation of a modular shelter system, which also attracted significant visitor interest.
Innovation Is Not an End in Itself – The Industry Looks to the Future with Confidence
Vehicle manufacturers, equipment suppliers, and personal protective equipment (PPE) providers are investing heavily in research and development. However, the industry's message is not simply about “more technology,” but about achieving greater operational impact.
INTERSCHUTZ once again demonstrated its value as an ideal platform for the direct exchange of experience between practitioners and industry. Throughout the six-day event, commercial and non-commercial exhibitors came together to strengthen the vital dialogue between manufacturers and users that defines the emergency services community.
Köckler said the exceptionally strong demand for solutions and innovations at exhibitors' stands demonstrated the industry's readiness to actively shape responses to the challenges of the coming years.
Dr. Tobias Ehrhard, Managing Director of the Firefighting Technology Association within the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), emphasized that anyone looking for innovation comes to INTERSCHUTZ. Nowhere else, he said, can visitors find a comparable range of high-performance technologies for fire and rescue services, nor such an intensive dialogue between manufacturers and users, fire departments, industry representatives, and municipal decision-makers.
Together with vfdb and the German Fire Services Association (DFV), the association is an institutional partner of the world's leading trade fair.
Ehrhard added that the exceptional level of interest in INTERSCHUTZ 2026 once again demonstrated that Hannover remains both a driving force and a key reference point for modern firefighting and resilient civil protection.
Dirk Aschenbrenner, President of vfdb, also highlighted the event's unique role in knowledge exchange, noting that nowhere else is there such intensive interaction between education and research, industry, and frontline emergency responders as at INTERSCHUTZ in Hannover. He also emphasized the important contribution of non-commercial partners and exhibitors to the success of the world's leading trade fair.
According to Karl-Heinz Banse, President of the German Fire Services Association (DFV), INTERSCHUTZ 2026 generated strong momentum within the firefighting community, particularly with regard to the future. Emergency responders are ready, he said, and industry is providing practical, mission-oriented technology. The firefighting community is becoming more closely connected and approaching future challenges with confidence.
Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence Continue to Accelerate Transformation
Across nine exhibition halls and several outdoor exhibition areas, two transformative megatrends were on full display: the ongoing digitalization of emergency services and the widespread integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into rescue and civil protection infrastructure.
One striking example was the latest generation of emergency control room technology. Exhibitors presented highly intelligent systems capable of analyzing emergency calls in multiple languages within seconds, automatically generating critical situation assessments, and coordinating emergency response teams with unprecedented precision.
Robotic systems designed to make emergency operations safer and more efficient also attracted considerable visitor interest.
Other major themes included sustainability and the impact of climate change. The latter was highlighted by the premiere of WildfireCamp, which focused on technologies and solutions for the early detection and prevention of vegetation and forest fires, as well as tools designed to support emergency responders when such incidents occur.
Strong Interest in the German Red Cross Mobile Field Hospital
Exhibitors and visitors expressed high levels of satisfaction with the event.
Alongside emergency vehicles of all types and equipment designed for a wide variety of operational scenarios, one of the most striking exhibits was a 3,000-square-meter mobile field hospital presented by the German Red Cross (DRK).
Despite all the technological developments on display, Köckler emphasized that INTERSCHUTZ ultimately demonstrated one fundamental principle: people who take responsibility and help others remain at the heart of everything.
A comprehensive supporting program featuring specialist conferences, live demonstrations, exciting rescue competitions, and interactive activities made INTERSCHUTZ 2026 both a professional and emotional highlight for emergency responders from around the world.
Köckler also acknowledged that INTERSCHUTZ 2026 was overshadowed by a tragic incident. A professional firefighter lost his life during the FireFit European Championships. He expressed condolences to the firefighter's family, friends, colleagues, and everyone who knew him, adding that the entire INTERSCHUTZ community mourned the loss.
Next INTERSCHUTZ to Take Place in 2030
The next INTERSCHUTZ will take place at the Hannover exhibition grounds from 20–25 May 2030.
