Top topics medical technology and automotive at the high-tech trade fair W3+ Fair in Wetzlar/ Germany

Setting the course for the future: On March 19 and 20, 2025, Wetzlar will once again become a source of innovations. In addition to optical and related technologies, this year the organizer is bringing the user sectors of medical technology and automotive to the trade fair, two industries in which the Hesse region is traditionally well positioned – with very different perspectives. Future-oriented: The security & defense sector is also represented.

Wetzlar/ Germany, 17 March 2025: When the doors open for the W3+ Fair (w3-fair.com), the high-tech trade fair and conference in Wetzlar on March 19 and 20, around 200 exhibitors, partners and speakers will be ready for the expected 2,000 visitors. The experts will meet to exchange ideas and initiate new solutions. The event brings together knowledge, technologies and talents – a central marketplace not only for the Central Hesse region: For many companies from other federal states and from abroad, the trade fair is a promising gateway to this strong economic region.

The innovative products and services from the fields of optics, photonics, electronics and mechanics that are presented at the W3+ Fair are indispensable for many user sectors. This year, the W3+ Fair is focusing on medical technology and automotive – two traditionally strong economic sectors in the Central Hesse/Hesse region. Both industries are facing major transformation tasks: While the automotive sector is looking for new impetus and sales markets, Hesse’s medical technology and life science companies want to further expand their strong position. “Thanks to renowned companies and institutions, our region offers the best conditions for development leaps in medical technology. The close cooperation between research, development and industry drives innovative solutions,” says Dr. Wolfgang Zientz, Chairman of the VDI – Association of German Engineers – in Hesse. Hesse is an ideal location for sustainable success in medical technology.

In line with future important user fields, the industry association Spectaris is organizing a meeting of its newly founded “Security & Defence” specialist group at the trade fair. With Zeiss, Hensoldt and the German Armed Forces, important players in the industry will be represented at the trade fair.

Guided tours, presentations and networking for Automotive and MedTech

The automotive network TeamMit – based at Regionalmanagement Mittelhessen – is once again using the trade fair to show companies from the industry new opportunities and to join forces with other user sectors.

The second day of the trade fair will be exciting for those interested in MedTech/LifeScience: after a tech tour of the exhibition by the THM University of Applied Sciences Middlehesse, the VDI invites the visitors to the topic block “Lifescience – Future Opportunities for Central Hesse”: Industry giants such as CSL Behring, Abbot Diagnostics Business and THM will be discussing “Future prospects for the pharmaceutical industry” and “Innovative technologies for decoding the human brain”. 

Lecture program on semiconductors, lasers, microtechnology and AI

The accompanying conference “en-tech.talks” will bring news for all business areas and levels to the stage: current insights into the semiconductor industry will be provided by Zeiss, PVA TePla and KLA. Other topics include microtechnology, photonics and new research resources at Justus-Liebig-University, which are intended to promote cooperation between science and industry. The thematic block “Laser development” takes a look into the future: the overview ranges from the new white light lasers to laser fusion. The start-up Focused Energy from Darmstadt will provide an update on the status of visionary CO2-free energy generation.  

The top dogs Leica Microsystems and Leica Camera will have their say in the lecture block “Industrial image processing with AI”. The topic of artificial intelligence plays a central role in the conference program and in numerous side events: at the W3+ Fair there will be many suggestions for the use of this disruptive technology in the own company.

The trade fair offers companies and specialists a good opportunity to keep their finger on the pulse of rapid progress and to find new ideas and contacts for future projects.

More information at w3-fair.com
Image material at W3+ Fair press page – under downloads

About the W3+ Fair

The event traces its roots back to an industry imitative organised in Wetzlar and Mittelhessen, and its objective is to interlink the four sectors of optics, photonics, electronics and mechanics. The aim is that new interfaces and points of contact will pave the way for forward-looking technologies. The trade fair debuted at the Buderus Arena in Wetzlar in February 2014. The W3+ Fair is organised by the Hamburg-based company, FLEET Events (fleet-events.de). In 2023, the organizer has expanded its portfolio to include the W3+ Fair Jena. Together with EPIC and IVAM, the W3+ trade fair team has been organizing a joint stand at the APE Asian Photonics Expo in Singapore since 2024.