From 8 to 10 October 2024, Messe Stuttgart became the hotspot for groundbreaking technologies and visionary ideas. The 31st edition of the World’s leading trade fair for machine vision set a new exhibitor record and saw an impressive increase in the number of visitors (+ 23 per cent).
Key players, highly specialised companies and industry newcomers from all over the world presented future-oriented solutions, discussed market developments and industry trends, and forged new networks. VISION 2024 was a complete success with 483 exhibitors from 38 countries and more than 8,000 visitors, 49 per cent of whom came from abroad.
Trendsetting catalyst
“In spite of challenging market conditions, VISION continued on its successful course and reflected both current and future opportunities in the machine vision industry. In the full exhibition halls it was confirmed that there is still interest in machine vision solutions across every industry and that trade visitors are relying on further development and new investments for the future. The exhibitors were able to generate valuable leads and forge new contacts,” said Florian Niethammer, Head of Exhibitions and Events at Messe Stuttgart.
The German Engineering Federation (VDMA), the professional and promotional supporter of VISION, concurred: “VISION 2024 generated new positive impetus and proved that there is still interest in machine vision”, concluded Anne Wendel, Head of the Machine Vision Department in the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association. “Machine vision occupies a key position in the global automation trend. New AI technologies and approaches are also increasing the market potential. The long-term outlook for European machine vision therefore remains positive.”
Growth right across the board
Even before the trade fair started, this year’s edition of VISION boasted some increases and superlatives. For example, the net exhibition area increased by 16 per cent compared with the previous event. The number of exhibitors rose by more than 25 per cent and therefore set a new record. The highest number of first-time exhibitors (33 per cent) was also attained. Another record was set in terms of the number of foreign exhibitors, i.e. 67 per cent.
Decision-makers from all over the world: VISION as the global centre of machine vision
The trade visitors were just as international as the exhibitors: VISION 2024 attracted visitors from more than 65 countries. These visitors came primarily from Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Austria, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Spain. A large number of trade visitors also travelled to Stuttgart from the USA and Japan. VISION therefore sent a signal: its unites the international world of machine vision and is the most important industry platform that covers the entire range of machine vision products and applications.
In addition to trade visitors from the machine vision industry, the main visitor groups included traditional branches of industry such as electrical engineering and electronics, mechanical engineering and plant construction, and the automotive and automotive component supply industry. VISION also generated great interest from different user industries – from semiconductor production, the food and beverage industry, and transport and logistics through to medical technology and the pharmaceutical industry.
In particular, it was pleasing to see the high expertise of the visitors: in a representative survey around 57 per cent of visitors said that they were fully or partially responsible for purchasing and procurement decisions in their company. Overall, the trade visitors were satisfied with VISION 2024 and awarded it the mark 1.9. 82 per cent of trade visitors said they would recommend the trade fair to other people while 58 per cent believed that VISION would become more important in future.
Know-how transfer and competitions
The talk forums “Industrial VISION Days” and “Scientific VISION Days” went down very well. These forums were jointly organised by the VDMA Machine Vision Association and the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT). In more than 100 presentations and talks the forums offered concise know-how transfer relating to important trend topics such as 3D imaging, embedded vision, hyperspectral imaging and artificial intelligence. The entire talk programme could be followed in a live stream during VISION and is available after the event as a video-on-demand offer.
The renowned VISION Award presentation ceremony and the VISION Start-up Pitch Sessions attracted large crowds and impressively demonstrated what the future holds in regard to revolutionary technologies. Toshiba Teli Corporation from Tokyo won the VISION 2024 Award for the development of “OneShotBRDF™, a technology which revolutionizes surface flaw detection on glossy and flat materials. The VISION 2024 Start-Up Award was presented to the French company Viziotix which developed a revolutionary barcode software. “Competitions are a yardstick for the innovative capacity in an industry,” said Florian Niethammer. “The VISION Award and the Start-up Sessions clearly show what is possible nowadays – and give an idea of what the future will bring!”
Market growth expected
After the challenges of the last two years, which were characterised by “a continuing rebalancing of trade relations between the USA and China”, ultimately, by a “volatile geopolitical environment”, Dr. Chris Yates, President of the European Machine Vision Association (EMVA), also sees some positive signals for the industry. The EMVA is expecting market growth in the medium term: “In view of the large number of market entries by new companies, continuous innovations, great interest among strategic finance investors and an ecosystem of companies which offer high-quality products for critical needs, it is expected that the vision technology market will also remain a very attractive line of business in future.” At a time when companies were looking for new opportunities and developed new machines, VISION therefore remains “more important than ever”.
About VISION
VISION has been presenting the highlights of the international machine vision industry since 1988. In addition to first-rate exhibitors, the trade fair is characterised by its high degree of internationality and a varied accompanying programme. The next VISION will be held from 6 to 8 October 2026.
