The Expert Talk kicked off with full success on the first day of the trade fair, October 24, on the Live Stage in Hall 15 at Messe Düsseldorf. Leading decision-makers as well as press representatives from the pioneering trade media followed the discussion round with top-class experts from research, science and companies. Stern TV presenter Dieter Könnes led the discussion. The core topic was Impulses for the new work environment.
“The challenges of recent years have fundamentally changed the working world for companies and employees and will continue to do so in the future. Managers need to prepare their companies for upcoming challenges at an early stage. The talk provided relevant food for thought in this regard,” said Lars Wismer, Director A+A, enthusiastically about the contributions of the discussants.
“The back and shoulders are the most relevant body zones for complaints both during physical work and when working at a desk,” emphasized Dr. Urs Schneider, division manager and department head of Fraunhofer IPA, and presented the most important ergonomics tools of the future such as exoskeletons and softsuits.
“In the future, it will be even more about breaking up traditional work structures and creating space for more flexibility, self-determination and meaningfulness in work,” explained Dr. Joerg Castor, Project Manager Workspace Innovation, and presented various concepts of New Work such as flexible working hours, agile working, flat hierarchies and hybrid work.
What lies behind the somewhat unwieldy title “Digital Disruption” was explained by Thomas Kuhn, technology reporter in the Innovation & Digital department of WirtschaftsWoche.
“Existing services, products or business models are being replaced in some markets by digital innovation and artificial intelligence and thus displaced,” was one of his key statements.
Henk Vanhoutte, PPE expert, lobbyist, standardization expert, HVC project manager, Secretary General European Safety Federation, explained how sustainability can be implemented in the field of occupational health and safety and personal protective clothing and how occupational accidents and work-related health hazards can be prevented in a contemporary manner.
A touch of Hollywood blew through the panel with Ralf Moeller. Ralf Moeller is 1.97 meters tall and was Mister Universe. Together with Hans Schäfer Workwear, he is countering the shortage of skilled workers with his “Motivation Handwerk” initiative and getting young people excited about the skilled trades. For more than 15 years, Moeller has been campaigning for young people in a wide variety of ways.
Dr. Verena Ziegler, founder and CEO of Beawear thinks fashion from the perspective of the individual body. “Only one in three garments fits; work clothes that don’t fit are a safety hazard,” the expert warned. The return costs of online clothing store would be around 1.3 billion euros in Germany alone, up to 20 percent fashion waste and over 200,000 tons of CO2 emissions.
Trend-setting trends for occupational safety and health – concentrated and curated. This is what A+A stands for. The participants in the Innovation Tour, which took place after the “Expert Talk”, were able to pick up sound information and valuable inspiration at the stands:
Hans Schäfer Mode GmbH Hall 15/F22
Hans Schäfer Workwear focuses on a wide range of fits and durable quality with a collection that caters to the needs of doers in the SME sector. The company from Bavaria has more than 100 years of experience in the textile industry and offers the special service plus with its dedicated team.
UVEX Arbeitsschutz GmbH Hall 14/B22
“Protecting people” is uvex’s mission. The brand stands firmly on two strong pillars: uvex sports group products range from helmets for winter, cycling and equestrian sports to ski, sports and leisure eyewear. The uvex safety group is all about occupational safety.
ATLAS Schuhfabrik GmbH & Co. KG Hall 13/C90 – E83
Atlas® – the shoe company is one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality and innovative safety shoes in Europe. Founded in 1910, the company manufactures 2.6 million pairs of safety shoes annually at its modern production site in Dortmund and ships them throughout Europe.
Gore- Tex Hall 11/G60
The GORE TEX brand has one goal: to support people in their active passions. Since 1976, its technologies have been used by countless adventurers around the world. The company is dedicated to developing new technologies and solutions.
B∙A∙D Gesundheitsvorsorge und Sicherheitstechnik GmbH Hall 5/G21
With more than 3,500 employees, B∙A∙D GmbH is the largest inter-company service provider in the field of occupational safety, occupational medicine and occupational health care in Germany. The company serves more than 203,000 companies, business sites and public institutions of all sizes and sectors.
Exopark, Exoworkathlon Hall 10/E10
Exoworkathlon develops work-specific courses for industrial exoskeletons to demonstrate their functions in terms of user feedback, ergonomics, metabolism and product quality. Industrial exoskeletons are devices developed and used to facilitate work functions and prevent musculoskeletal disorders.
Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA Hall 1/B79
Dräger offers a wide range of safety technology from Germany such as mobile and stationary gas detection technology as well as personal occupational safety. With more than 135 years of experience, the company has the special safety solution for both small businesses and large companies.
Video Press Summit Expert Talk Live Stream: https://www.aplusa.de/de/Programm/Expert_Talks/Press_Summit_Expert_Talk
Press pictures Press Summit Expert Talk Live:
https://medianet.messe-duesseldorf.de/press/aplusa-online/main
Interviews with the Panel Experts:
https://www.aplusa.de/de/Media_News/A_A_2023_Live_%C3%9Cbersicht
