The trade fair alliance “The smarter E Europe 2025” for the energy industry once again made Munich the epicenter of the global energy industry. Over three days, 2,737 exhibitors from 57 countries presented their technologies, business models and market-ready solutions for a smart, connected and fully renewable energy system. Around 107,000 trade visitors from 157 countries took the opportunity to network, initiate partnerships and launch new projects. The accompanying trade conferences and side events also met with great interest, with more than 2,600 participants. At the four trade fairs Intersolar Europe, “ees Europe”, “Power2Drive Europe” and EM-Power Europe, it became clear that the energy industry is ready for the next phase. While the global expansion of renewable energies is running at full speed, the focus is now on making the energy system more flexible, more digital and more integrated.
Once again, it became clear that energy systems are becoming increasingly complex, networked and integrated. The sectors and industries are no longer just coupled. They are growing together in a decentralized, digital and intelligent way. A dynamic overall system is emerging in which the energy transition is taking place in real and economic terms. Renewable energies are no longer a supplementary component. They have already become a relevant factor in many markets and are increasingly shaping the design of energy systems. Global solar power generation is growing by 100 percent. In the past three years, 2,134 terawatt hours have been generated by photovoltaics. This amount of electricity is equivalent to five times the electricity consumption of Germany or the whole of India. In Europe, 47 percent came from renewable energies, in Germany even around 60 percent. These figures are encouraging. Herbert Diess from “The Mobility House” emphasized in a keynote speech that the future belongs to renewable energies and that fossil fuels will soon no longer be competitive.
Winners of “The smarter E Award” emphasize holistic thinking and action
A holistic perspective was also evident at this year's “The smarter E Awards” ceremony. Hyunyoung Kwak, Samsung SDI’s Vice President, said: “The holistic approach of the exhibition – integrating storage, generation, digitalization, and grid solutions – aligns perfectly with our vision of a safe and sustainable future. Making renewables available 24/7 is no longer a distant goal; it is becoming a tangible reality, especially in Europe, where policy, technology, and market forces are rapidly converging to drive the energy transition. We are proud to be part of this movement and remain committed to enabling clean, reliable, and safe energy around the clock.”
One of the coveted industry awards went to Toscano, a Spanish SME for its COMBI-PRO-MAX, a compact backup control unit for solar and battery systems. Carlos Toscano, the company’s CEO and Managing Director, explained: Our success reflects our strong belief in an integrated approach to renewable energy, one that goes beyond isolated solutions. For us, it is about building smart, integrated systems that make sustainable energy available 24/7, combining solar, storage, intelligent grid management, and real-time data monitoring. This is not just about producing clean power, but about ensuring reliability, resilience, and efficiency at every level.“
Solar Promotion draws positive conclusions
Markus Elsässer, founder and managing director of Solar Promotion, which organizes “The smarter E Europe” together with Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe (FWTM), looks back confidently on three successful days at the trade fair: “Our four exhibitions complement each other, covering the key topics of the energy transition in both breadth and depth. Once again, 'The smarter E Europe' provided the blueprint for the climate-neutral energy world of the future. The path has been laid out, the technologies and solutions needed to get there already exist. It is now about following that path unerringly. Because we are the energy system.”
Markus Elsässer mentioned a particular highlight of this year’s event: “I am absolutely delighted about the attention and positive feedback our special exhibit on bidirectional charging attracted. With the special exhibit we played to one of our major strengths, having our finger on the pulse and working with the renewables industry to highlight the right topics at the right time.
“The smarter E Europe 2026” with new date from Tuesday to Thursday
Jens Mohrmann, Managing Director of FWTM, also spoke of a very special atmosphere during the trade fair: “Despite the challenges that some parts of the industry are facing right now, the general atmosphere at The smarter E Europe was extremely positive. It was abundantly clear that the gathered thinkers, doers and decision makers are brimming with passion and optimism as they work to advance the energy transition.The event once again highlighted the industry’s strong unity, as well as the enthusiasm and innovative power they put into driving the energy transition. I already cannot wait for the next edition of The smarter E Europe, which will be held from Tuesday, June 23 until Thursday, June 25, 2026 at Messe München.”
