Also in the trade with machine tools are the Dutch and Germans connected in good neighborhood. Germany is the third largest supplier to the Netherlands, for which the eastern neighbor is the most important export market. Naturally, VDW Executive Director Dr. Wilfried Schäfer is cherishing these connections and visited The Hague on the EMO World Tour.

After a brief downturn, the bilateral business with machine tools is  picking up again. Orders from the Netherlands rose by 67 percent in 2016. The Dutch economy is also gaining momentum as a whole, fueled by a robust domestic demand and an improved investment climate - even if the concerns about Brexit are somewhat curbing the mood.

At the press conference, Evert Geurtsen, Technical Director of Cellro, gave an insight into the Dutch's ability to innovate. His company designs solutions for the automated and process-integrated handling of workpieces. His credo: It is not the question of whether to automate, but how and when. At the EMO Hannover, innovations in product handling and a completely independent robot cell are to be expected of Cellro.

Chantal Baas from the Dutch production technology association FPT-VIMAG highlighted the outstanding importance of EMO Hannover for Dutch companies. According to her, the fair offers the necessary international environment for meeting new customers.