Ms. Schulz-Metzner, SPS IPC Drives has always seen itself as a component trade fair for electrical automation technology. Now the topic of Industry 4.0 is very much focusing on the system concept of automation - from higher-level IT right down to the sensor. Will this also lead to a change at SPS IPC Drives?
Schulz-Metzner: Yes and no! SPS IPC Drives is still the trade fair for the components of electrical automation technology, such as drive technology or control technology. Of course, the system concept of automation technology is becoming more and more apparent - especially due to the topic of Industry 4.0. But the one cannot be separated from the other! And the exhibitors at SPS IPC Drives reflect this in exactly the same way: The focus is on the components, but now of course very much in terms of the necessary interaction in and through connecting systems.

To what extent will the topic of 'IT' and therefore also the topic of 'software' increasingly find its way into the trade fair?
Schulz-Metzner: Industry 4.0 is all about digitalization and intelligent networking of production. Software is key to this, there's no question about it. We therefore already made adjustments to the trade fair's nomenclature last year and included topics such as cyber security and big data to take this into account. And for SPS IPC Drives 2017, together with our exhibitor advisory board, we have already made further revisions and additions in the area of software. The nomenclature has been expanded to include software topics that are part of automation as part of Industry 4.0 and are therefore of interest to visitors to the trade fair.

Does this bring Hannover Messe and SPS IPC Drives closer together again in terms of content?
Schulz-Metzner: SPS IPC Drives has a clear profile. It is the leading trade fair for electrical automation. Visitors to the trade fair, the majority of whom are design engineers from the mechanical engineering sector, find answers to their automation tasks here. If these automation tasks change with the development of Industry 4.0, this will be reflected at SPS IPC Drives. I only see this from the perspective of our trade fair and see the demands that our exhibitors and visitors place on us, regardless of other trade fairs.