Hanover, Germany. The countdown to INTERSCHUTZ 2026 is entering the home stretch. Just a few weeks before the world’s leading trade fair for fire and rescue services and civil protection (1-6 June 2026 in Hannover), the organizers drew attention to the growing challenges faced by emergency responders around the world. Under the motto “Safeguarding tomorrow”, 1,525 exhibitors from 51 nations will present their products, innovative solutions, and services on 112,463 sqm net exhibition space (2022-still affected by impacts of COVID: 1,296 exhibitors, 84,052 sqm, 84,920 visitors; 2015-previous record-setting trade fair: 1,453 exhibitors, 107,327 sqm, 156,844 visitors). At the same time, the six-day event shines a spotlight on the much-cited “turning point in civil protection”. The trade fair will be opened by Germany’s Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt.

“INTERSCHUTZ is more than a trade fair – it is THE international meeting point for the sector focused on safety in increasingly uncertain times,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG, on Tuesday (3 March) at Hannover Airport, where the airport fire brigade demonstrated the capabilities of modern large-scale firefighting vehicles. Köckler highlighted civil–military cooperation (CMC) as one of the key focuses at INTERSCHUTZ. “This makes it more than ever also a political trade fair,” he said. Civil-military cooperation in civil protection is no longer limited to ad-hoc disaster support but is becoming a strategically embedded, permanent, and institutionally anchored element of national and European security policy.

This was emphasized by Colonel (General Staff) Armin Schaus, Head of Division J9 (Civil-Military Cooperation), Bundeswehr Operational Command. “We can only safeguard our security together. This requires the state, industry, and society to stand closely and resiliently side by side. Only as a united front can we protect what matters to us: our freedom and our democracy.”

Like Schaus, Jürgen Christmann, Vice President of the German Red Cross (DRK), also pointed to the changing conditions. Christmann announced that the DRK will showcase a large mobile hospital for the first time in Hall 23. “Current and geopolitical threat scenarios make one thing clear: We must now invest decisively in preparedness, self-help capabilities, and the resilience of the population. We cannot afford delays. As an auxiliary to the German authorities in the humanitarian field and Germany’s largest aid organization, we bear a special responsibility in civil protection. At the same time, we are an experienced actor in international humanitarian assistance. At INTERSCHUTZ, we will present our mobile hospital, among other things, and demonstrate how state-of-the-art technology and highly complex logistics make a ‘hospital in a box’ possible – and what day-to-day clinical operations look like under crisis conditions,” said Jürgen Christmann.

Jochen Köckler highlighted the international significance of the trade fair and emphasized: “The turning point does not stop at national or regional borders – it is reflected in the everyday work of emergency responders. Geopolitical tensions, climate change, crises, disasters, and hybrid threats can only be addressed effectively together. Only integrated systems made up of fire services, rescue services, and civil and disaster protection agencies are truly capable of responding”. Köckler also recalled the origins of INTERSCHUTZ, which was launched more than 70 years ago under the title “Der Rote Hahn” as a pure fire-service exhibition and has been organized by Deutsche Messe since 2000. “INTERSCHUTZ has always remained true to its brand core – the fire services. At the same time, it has continuously evolved, aligned itself with the challenges of the present and the future, and has grown both in content and in scale. All indicators suggest that this year’s event could become the largest INTERSCHUTZ of all time,” Köckler expressed his delight. “Fire and rescue services have long since become highly complex crisis managers whose responsibilities go far beyond firefighting and medical care,” Köckler noted.

This is also reflected in the roughly 30 national and international delegations that have registered for INTERSCHUTZ so far. Joining them, for example, are the European Firefighters Association and the CTIF. In addition to that decision-makers from fire and rescue organizations, as well as from civil protection and disaster management institutions, have announced their attendance. They come, for example, from Singapore (Fire Protection Association Singapore), Taiwan, South America (OBA), Sweden (MSB-Swedish Contingencies Agency), and Denmark (Danske Beredskaber, e.g. National Association representing Denmark’s municipal fire and emergency services.).

INTERSCHUTZ 2026 will also highlight the increasingly important role of artificial intelligence (AI). “AI is transforming operations – not as a substitute for people, but as an amplifier of their capabilities,” said Köckler. “In an emergency, AI can also protect the responders themselves.” It can enhance speed, precision and safety altogether. The decisive factor, he added, is how responsibly AI is used. In addition to AI and civil protection, the impact of climate change and sustainability will be further key topics. INTERSCHUTZ 2026 will showcase ways in which fire services, rescue services, and civil protection can remain capable of action amid this turning point. “The question is not whether crises will occur – but how we are prepared to master them together,” Köckler said.

Christoph Bahlmann, Chief of the Hannover Municipal Fire Department, described the role of municipalities in civil protection: “In civil protection, the municipal level plays a pivotal role. A turning point in civil protection therefore also means closely involving municipalities – as key points of contact for their citizens – in the conceptual realignment of civil protection, and equipping them appropriately in terms of funding, staffing, and resources. The existing gap between multiple demands and the current capabilities in civil protection must be further closed through stronger cooperation and coordination as well as standardization. INTERSCHUTZ, the world’s leading trade fair, with all relevant civil protection players represented, offers an excellent platform for this.”

A comprehensive supporting program will accompany the presentations in the eight exhibition halls and on the open-air grounds. A Smart Public Safety Hub will showcase the future of operational command. As always, sports will also feature prominently: for example, at the FireFit European Championships, firefighters from around the world will compete. High-intensity action is guaranteed at the third edition of the HOLMATRO Rescue Challenge, where teams from around the globe will attempt to free a trapped patient from a vehicle in under 20 minutes using state-of-the-art rescue equipment. The second premiere at INTERSCHUTZ 2026 is the High-Angle Rescue Pavilion. The name says it all: in Pavilion 34 under the EXPO roof, everything over all six days of the trade fair revolves exclusively around high-angle rescue. On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the national performance competition of German high-angle rescue teams will take place there. Things get action-packed with the S-GARD SAFETYTOUR. Running through INTERSCHUTZ on all six days of the trade fair, it offers all emergency responders the opportunity to improve their skills in hands-on team training under realistic conditions. Another hands-on activity is the LUKAS CRASH DAYS at INTERSCHUTZ on the open-air grounds – a high-performance medical and technical training event for experienced rescue personnel, incorporating modern rescue techniques.

Theory is not neglected either: At the INTERSCHUTZ Forum, suppliers, users, researchers, and policymakers present the latest industry topics and discuss challenges, opportunities, solutions, and technological innovations: For example, the Federation of European Fire Officers (FEU) will hold its first Leadership Conference 2026 as part of INTERSCHUTZ. Around 300 European leaders from fire and disaster services are expected to gather on the Hannover exhibition grounds from 3-4 June.

“INTERSCHUTZ is so strong because many hands come together. Alongside the exhibiting companies, this includes partners such as vfdb, DFV, and VDMA, as well as the non-commercial exhibitors such as fire brigades, rescue services, technical relief organizations, and civil protection agencies,” concluded Jochen Köckler. Visitor groups will include delegations from around the world – with the longest journey so far coming from Australia.

About INTERSCHUTZ

INTERSCHUTZ is the world's leading trade fair for firefighting, rescue, and civil protection. Taking place in 2026 in Hanover under the motto “Safeguarding Tomorrow”, INTERSCHUTZ showcases a comprehensive range of products and services in the fields of firefighting, preventive fire protection, rescue services, civil protection, communication and control center technology, as well as protective equipment. All information about the trade fair and supporting program is available at www.interschutz.de and is updated on an ongoing basis.

The INTERSCHUTZ portfolio also includes international events such as AFAC Australia ( https://www.afacconference.com.au/ ), REAS Italy ( https://www.reasonline.it/ ) and the China International Emergency Management Exhibition (CIEME: https://www.cieme.net/en ).