Fraunhofer IAO Demonstrates Industrial Metaverse Technologies and AI Avatars for Collaborative Engineering at Hannover Messe 2026

© Aristidis Schnelzer
Joseph von Fraunhofer’s digital twin is available for discussions.

(IN BRIEF) Fraunhofer IAO is showcasing industrial metaverse technologies at Hannover Messe 2026, including photorealistic AI avatars, digital twins, and immersive collaboration systems designed to improve engineering and service development. Visitors can interact with virtual experts, including a digital twin of Joseph von Fraunhofer, and explore Added Value Avatars that combine language models with knowledge systems to deliver expert insights. The exhibit also features tools such as AI-supported persona development and the Collaborative Powerwall, which allows multiple users to interact with virtual prototypes in real time. The initiative demonstrates how immersive technologies can enhance collaboration, knowledge transfer, and product development across industries.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 26-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO is presenting new developments in immersive engineering and industrial collaboration, highlighting the growing importance of the industrial metaverse for future manufacturing and service innovation. At a preview event ahead of Hannover Messe 2026, visitors were given an early look at technologies including photorealistic AI avatars, digital twins, and immersive collaboration tools designed to transform engineering and decision-making processes.

The showcase demonstrates how virtual environments can support more efficient product development, knowledge sharing, and teamwork across geographically distributed organizations. Researchers illustrated practical use cases showing how the industrial metaverse can help companies improve workflows and accelerate innovation through advanced digital tools.

A key feature of the exhibition is the opportunity for visitors to interact with lifelike AI avatars capable of natural voice communication. Among these virtual personalities is a digital twin of Joseph von Fraunhofer, allowing participants to experience how avatar-based interaction can support knowledge transfer and new forms of human-machine communication.

Another component of the exhibit is the Added Value Avatars (AVA) concept, which combines large language models with localized knowledge bases to create digital representations of experts. These avatars can provide consistent and accessible expertise regardless of time or location, enabling companies to integrate specialist knowledge into decision-making and collaborative development processes.

Visitors can also explore the Persona Check demonstrator, which uses AI-generated personas to support early-stage service development. By simulating the needs and expectations of different user groups, the system helps organizations refine ideas and design services that better match customer requirements.

At the center of the presentation is the Collaborative Powerwall, an immersive visualization system designed to enable shared interaction with virtual objects in real time. Using advanced tracking and visualization technologies, multiple participants can explore three-dimensional models from their own perspectives simultaneously. Users can move freely around virtual prototypes, discuss design details, and make changes collaboratively within the immersive environment.

Fraunhofer experts will present these technologies at Hannover Messe 2026 in Hall 11, Booth D33, where visitors will be able to experience the industrial metaverse firsthand. The institute will also provide guidance on implementing immersive technologies, including consulting services, integration support, and options for trial deployments through rental infrastructure.

The initiative highlights Fraunhofer IAO’s efforts to demonstrate how immersive technologies and digital collaboration tools can deliver practical value for engineering, service development, and industrial innovation.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, headquartered in Germany, is one of the world’s leading organizations for applied research. It plays a major role in innovation by prioritizing research on cutting-edge technologies and the transfer of results to industry to strengthen Germany’s industrial base and for the benefit of society as a whole. Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 75 institutes and research units throughout Germany. Its nearly 32,000 employees, predominantly scientists and engineers, work with an annual business volume of 3.6 billion euros; 3.1 billion euros of this stems from contract research.

Media Contact:

Monika Landgraf | Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Munich, Germany | Corporate Communications | Phone +49 89 1205-1333 |
presse@zv.fraunhofer.de

Catharina Sauer | Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO | Phone +49 711 970-2242 | Nobelstrasse 12 | 70569 Stuttgart, Germany |
www.iao.fraunhofer.de | presse@iao.fraunhofer.de

SOURCE: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft