York Region leads delegation at Hannover Messe 2025: Showcasing cutting-edge manufacturing and technology innovation in Europe

Last week, Hannover Messe 2025 kicked off with over 130,000 attendees and 4,000 exhibitors from around the globe gathering at the world’s largest industrial manufacturing expo. With Canada as the partner country this year, all eyes were on Team Canada.

Over 550 Canadian organizations — businesses, academic and research institutes, and economic development agencies — participated in the contingent organized by NGen Canada, and as part of that York Region Economic Development organized and led a regional delegation to showcase the strength of the region’s #YRtech and #YRmanufacturing ecosystems.

The York Region delegation consisted of eight local companies, three local municipalities (Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan), two innovation partners, plus several external partner industry organizations.

York Region had a significant presence at the show with a kiosk at the Ontario pavilion that also provided space for our municipal partners, and a separate shared space with York University’s SmartTO to highlight the OVIN demonstration zones in Markham and Vaughan, and the region’s expansive auto-tech sector.

Additionally, York Region had significant branding on the Canadian “Smart Manufacturing” pavilion stage providing exposure for the region during industry-focused panels that occurred daily at Hannover Messe.

Our delegation companies, six of which also had their own standalone booths, seized numerous opportunities to showcase their #YRtech and #YRmanufacturing innovations, while strengthening their international connections in Europe and beyond. Highlights included:

• Yi Li, Executive VP of Maple Advanced Robotics Inc. (MARI), accepting the #HM25 Robotics Award on the Tech Transfer Stage.
• RoboTape™ staff were busy on-site as attendees had the opportunity to experience a live demo of their #YRmanufacturing technology that aids companies with industrial automation efforts.

YORK REGION PROVIDED LOCAL COMPANIES THOUGHT-LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT #HM25

Conference attendees also had the chance to attend multiple York Region-led speaker panels on the NGen Canada stage, featuring many of the regional delegation companies. These discussions underscored the crucial role of partnerships and collaboration in driving growth and innovation:

Canada + Europe: A Case Study in Market Diversification for SME Manufacturers

Our host and moderator, Brendan Sweeney from Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing sat down with Dennis Dussin of Alps Welding to share insights on market diversification for SME manufacturers between Canada and the European market.

Robots, Space and the Power of Partnerships: Transforming Industries with Canadian Innovation Panel

Panelists Yi Li of MARI, Derrick Chow of NordSpace, and Robert Mastrotto of NGen Canada took part in a conversation with moderator Brendan Sweeney to discuss how these companies, leveraging resources from the Canadian ecosystem, have developed flexible technology adaptable for various manufacturing applications. Highlighting Canadian collaboration, MARI’s partnership with NGen exemplifies the strength of the national innovation ecosystem in developing technology that is assisting manufacturers to implement robotic automation in the manufacturing process and provides opportunities for SMEs to connect to global companies that can build credibility and a solid client pipeline.

Collaborating for Precision: How Partnerships Drive Manufacturing Innovation Panel

The third panel featured Vivek Burhanpurkar of Cyberworks Robotics, Michael Lalonde of RoboTape™, Hari Ramamoorthy of Dot Automation, and moderator Brendan Sweeney. The three York Region-based companies had a discussion on their successful collaborations with Canadian academic, government, and funding partners to launch new products and services.

Additional presentations and panels organized by our delegation partners included York University’s SmartTO discussing innovation happening around auto mobility solutions and tech-focused industry panels featuring our innovation partner, ventureLAB.

FORGING CONNECTIONS: ESTABLISHING INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS

With the uncertainty surrounding global trade policies, building new connections is more important than ever. The York Region delegation companies and partners had numerous opportunities to expand their networks throughout the conference:

• Members of our delegation met with European companies and in-market trade commissioners to reinforce the strength of York Region’s manufacturing and tech ecosystems and look for opportunities to diversity export markets.
• Multiple events organized by NGen, including the Night of Innovations networking event that served as a valuable opportunity for startups from the regional delegation along with founders from our partner, ventureLAB establish new connections to help drive future growth for their companies.
• Attendees had the chance to participate in an exclusive networking event and panel highlighting the AI capabilities and expertise of the Toronto region, featuring speakers from MARI, University of Toronto, and the Canadian German Chamber Commerce. This initiative was led by Toronto Global and the Canadian German Chamber of Commerce in partnership with York Region and the City of Toronto.

While market diversification is a key strategy for navigating uncertain times, leveraging local ecosystems is equally as important. “Team Ontario” united on the show floor, where members of the broader Ontario contingent forged connections, and showcased the strengths of Ontario’s manufacturing and tech ecosystems. This collaborative effort aims to drive growth and bolster our domestic markets.

Members of York Region’s economic development team also had the chance to connect with various companies and support organizations including representatives from Export Development Canada (EDC) and KPMG Canada/Germany to discuss the corridor and business opportunity for York Region SMEs in the German marketplace. In addition to providing funding services, EDC is also a wealth of knowledge for Canadian businesses looking for business clients and partners globally, creating an opportunity for on-the-ground B2B introductions between our delegation partners and potential clients via EDC sector representatives.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE YORK REGION DELEGATION PARTNERS

As we conclude Hannover Messe, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all the organizations, companies, partners, and local municipalities whose efforts made this event a success. Your dedication and collaboration were instrumental in showcasing the strengths and innovations of York Region, as well as the broader Canadian tech and manufacturing ecosystems, especially in these uncertain times.

Delegation companies: Alps Welding Ltd., CIeNET Technologies, Cyberworks Robotics, Dot Automation, Maple Advanced Robotics Inc., NordSpace, RoboTape™, and SmoothTalker.

Innovation & Industry Partners: NGen Canada, Toronto Global, ventureLAB, York University’s SmartTO, and Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing

York Region Municipalities: Markham Economic Development, Richmond Hill Economic Development, and Vaughan Economic Development.

If you did not get a chance to stop by and connect with us at Hannover Messe, you can still reach out to our team to discuss how we can support your growth and success in Toronto Area’s York Region.