As one of Germany's most important trade partners, Poland has a big influence on German industry . Poland for years experiences one of the greatest growth rates in the EU. This is just one of the reasons why Poland was selected as partner country for this year's Hannover Messe. For both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the current Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło, it was a manner of honor to open the trade fair and visit selected exhibits.
Despite of being Germanys largest European neighbor, Poland still is particularly unknown to many Germans. The most frequent and most subtle answers on the question, why they have never taken the chance to visit Poland are: "It's always cold there", "What's there to do?" and "Do they even have a seashore? Really?". Yes, Poland has hot summers, fabulous cities and yes, there are beautiful beaches. The country to Germany's east is alternatively associated with Chopin, Marie Curie and Pope John Paul II – or with sweets, sausage and vodka. Yet Poland also has so much more to offer. For us an manner of honor either to set out on a search for impressive red-and-white solutions for a digitized economy. We make a find in hall 3.
Photon – the digital teacher
A small white robot trundles around a colorful foam mat, glowing in a variety of colors: Damian Traczyk introduces Photon. Photon is a project by four students and an instructor at the Białystok University of Technology. This white, dog-like robot helps children between the ages of three and twelve to learn how to program – the first steps into a digital world. Commands can be entered on a tablet PC and the robot then carries them out. Playfully learning what they will need for their future careers – a great idea.
This green dachshund has a fighting spirit
We stick with the canine theme and proceed to Solaris. If you're riding a streetcar or a bus, pay attention to whether it's from Solaris. One of their products is electric city buses, of course from Poland. Around 10,000 Solaris vehicles are making their rounds in 26 countries, taking commuters to their destinations. Aside from Poland, Germany and Italy are the company's most important markets, By the way, the green dog is the Solaris dachshund. It symbolizes the rise of Solaris in a highly competitive market. It stands for daring and resolve when faced with crisis – David's fight against the Goliaths.
Control machines with your eyes
As we were walking through hall 3, Paweł Pacewicz suddenly approached us, holding a cup of coffee in his hand. Which wouldn't have been unusual at all, if not for the peculiar-looking helmet he was wearing. In fact, the helmet had nothing to do with coffee. But in return, Paweł showed me something on a model crane at his booth. The white helmet with visible surface is a hololens. This technology is already used today, especially in video games, and is a hot trend right now. The Polish company Transition Technologies uses them in industry. The goggles let you control a machine from far away. Of course, we wanted to try it out for ourselves. By the help of the headset-like goggles, the robot is focused on and a virtual menu appears in the field of vision. This is how errors can be easily spotted or statuses checked. The company has 60 patented products and has been in business for 25 years. It also has a strong presence in Germany.
Europe also means industry
Poland joined the European Union in 2002. A united Europe also means promoting international collaboration and benefiting from one another's strengths. Deutsche Telekom is committed to promoting the European identity and to connecting Europe – and we are. Deutsche Telekom also recognized the huge dormant potential in our neighboring country early on. The hub:raum incubator in Krakow is just one example. hub:raum promotes startups and their innovative business ideas.
A strong signal for a united Europe
The booths and exhibits are very impressive. It's also a great opportunity for the Poles to show themselves on the German market – without forgoing traditions. Poland is much more than sweets, sausage and spirits. This year's Hannover Messe gives a strong signal for a united Europe.