AI as a key driver of a sustainable water future: Wilo conveys a clear message at IFAT 2026
Water technology group welcomes several thousand guests at IFAT in Munich
Munich. Wilo can look back on a successful IFAT 2026. Welcoming several thousand international visitors at its booth at the Messe München exhibition centre, the multinational technology group presented sustainable and AI-integrated solutions for water management. At the world’s leading trade fair for environmental technologies, Wilo also welcomed numerous high-ranking political guests to exchange views.
Wilo’s trade fair motto set the tone for this year’s appearance at IFAT: “Pioneering WATER AI for You.” This is also the title of Wilo’s Group Strategy, describing the structured integration of water technology and artificial intelligence. “At the IFAT, we are demonstrating how this strategic approach is realised in practice. AI is the key to mastering the current and future challenges of water management. Therefore, it also provides the greatest potential for a sustainable water future,” explains Oliver Hermes, President & Global CEO of the Wilo Group, at the trade fair.
The importance of AI for water management was also discussed in several meetings with political representatives, including Jessika Roswall, EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, and Eric Mamer, Director-General for Environment at the European Commission. Wilo also welcomed Carsten Schneider, Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of the Federal Republic of Germany, Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy as well as Deputy Minister President of Bavaria, and numerous other political guests from the Global South.
The water technology group conveyed a clear message at the trade fair booth: the digital and AI era is already transforming the water sector. Wilo presented ‘Wilo Speaking Waters’ for the first time. This AI-based component of the Wilo WATER AI Platform not only visualises operating data but also processes it to predictive analyses and actionable recommendations for action. “Water management is thus increasingly shifting towards predictive operational management and is becoming more resilient, efficient and transparent,” says Peter Glauner, Regional CEO & CSO of Wilo Europe. “The platform belongs to a new generation of digital water management tools.”
As one of the world’s leading trade fairs, IFAT brings together industry experts from the fields of water, recycling and circularity in Munich every two years. For the first time, Wilo and its water treatment brands Wilo FSM, Wilo Likusta, Wilo Martin and Wilo Steinhardt exhibited together at IFAT. In addition to IFAT Munich, the IFAT network also includes trade fairs in China, India, South Africa, Brazil, and Turkey.
