The smarter E Europe 2025 ends with a strong signal from the industry

Europe's largest trade fair alliance for the energy industry closed in 2025 with impressive figures and a clear appeal: The energy transition is no longer an abstract goal, but a living reality. For three days, Munich became the international meeting place for an energy system that is increasingly integrated, digital and cross-sectoral. The smarter E Europe 2025 not only showcased technological advances, but also how closely market, regulation and innovation are now intertwined.

International meeting place for technology, market and vision

With 2,737 exhibitors from 57 countries and around 107,000 trade visitors from 157 nations, The smarter E Europe 2025 once again underlined its global significance. The four leading trade fairs – Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe – together covered the entire value chain of a renewable energy system. The spectrum ranged from generation, storage and distribution to mobility and intelligent energy management. The increasing system approach of many exhibitors was striking. Individual components took a back seat, while integrated solutions for electricity, heat, mobility and grids dominated. Accompanying conferences, forums and side events were used intensively to initiate projects, discuss regulatory issues and promote international cooperation. The trade fair thus served not only as a product showcase, but also as a working platform for the energy industry.

System integration as the central theme of the trade fair

A defining theme of The smarter E Europe 2025 was the question of how renewable energies can be embedded in a stable, scalable overall system. Grid stability, flexibility and digital control were just as much a focus as new market models. This was particularly evident in the areas of energy storage and load management, where software solutions were increasingly presented on an equal footing with hardware. The coupling of sectors also played a central role. Solutions for power-to-X, bidirectional charging and the intelligent integration of electric vehicles showed how mobility and energy supply are continuing to converge. The trade fair made it clear that technological feasibility has long been a given – the decisive factors now are framework conditions, scaling and market acceptance.

Awards for integrated approaches and security of supply

The presentation of The smarter E AWARDS impressively reflected this change. Samsung SDI received awards in the categories of energy storage and e-mobility. The company impressed with solutions that consistently combine generation, storage, grid management and digital control. Representatives of the company emphasised that this integration is crucial for reconciling economic and ecological goals. The Spanish company Toscano was also honoured. With its COMBI-PRO-MAX backup control unit, it addresses one of the central challenges of the energy transition: security of supply in an increasingly decentralised system. The award underlined that resilience and efficiency have long been criteria on a par with sustainability.

Market, politics and practice in direct dialogue

In addition to technology and products, The smarter E Europe 2025 provided a forum for political and strategic exchange. Discussion panels addressed approval processes, grid expansion, the shortage of skilled workers and Europe's role in global competition. Many participants highlighted the direct dialogue between industry, politics and associations as a particular added value. The special show on bidirectional charging exemplified how closely trade fair content and current market trends are now intertwined. Applications that were still considered pilot projects a few years ago are increasingly becoming market-ready and economically relevant. The smarter E Europe thus once again positioned itself as a seismograph for developments that are on the verge of a broad breakthrough.

Outlook for 2026 in Munich

The organisers drew a correspondingly positive conclusion. Markus Elsässer, Managing Director of Solar Promotion GmbH, emphasised the strategic depth of the event and its claim to offer orientation in a dynamic market. The atmosphere at the exhibition centre was also widely described as constructive and forward-looking. The next edition of The smarter E Europe has already been scheduled. From 23 to 25 June 2026, the trade fair will return to Messe München – for the first time with a new schedule running from Tuesday to Thursday. This is the organiser's response to the needs of international trade visitors and at the same time signals the further professionalisation of the format.