Voices from the Global Forum
At the Endress+Hauser Global Forum 2026 in Basel, decision-makers and experts from more than 70 countries discussed the future of the process industry. Here, guests share their impressions.
Under the theme ‘Driving sustainable transformation together,’ attendees looked far beyond their day-to-day business while also addressing practical issues. In five Inspiring Sessions, renowned keynote speakers provided far-reaching insights into how companies can prepare for uncertain developments. Insight Sessions offered guests the opportunity to engage with case studies in an industry-specific and practical manner.
Grant Golden, Engineering, G.C. Evans, USA
What did participants take away from these offerings? A selection:
“I came here primarily to network and learn about new devices and technologies. We’re particularly interested in modeling, so it was important for me to see what solutions are currently available and how we can apply them to our systems. A key takeaway from the Inspiring Sessions for me is the need to make our facilities even more sustainable. As an OEM in the food and beverage sector, we’re thinking deeply about how we can further improve efficiency and sustainability. I was also particularly impressed by how strongly the topic of artificial intelligence is being driven forward. We’d like to invest more heavily in AI in the future and figure out how we can use these technologies effectively in our industry.”
Pauline Lorin, Chief Marketing Officer, Purecontrol, France
“I was very impressed by the forum – both the organization and the overall format. We naturally strike up conversations here, since we were all invited by Endress+Hauser and share that common connection. The discussion during our Insight Session was highly relevant. At the same time, I’m inspired by the keynotes: As an innovative AI provider focused on the intelligent control of industrial plants, we’ve made sustainability our mission. That made the idea of embedding sustainability into a broader value proposition for customers – and not just placing it front and center – all the more exciting to me. I’m taking away some great ideas for our own approach from here.”
Nathaly Boeldak, née Theodora, Water Supply Chain General Manager, Aqualectra Utility, Curaçao
“For me, the Global Forum is a valuable opportunity to gain new insights and build an international network. It is a space where future thinking for our industry truly takes shape. As the person responsible for water production and distribution as well as the maintenance of the accompanying water assets in Curaçao, I see immense value in engaging with global perspectives that challenge how we think and operate today. I was particularly inspired by the keynote speakers – for example, on ‘Sustainability 2.0’ and the question of how the concept of sustainability has evolved: away from the traditional triad of People, Planet, Profit toward a stronger focus on creating concrete added value for customers and society. The discussions surrounding artificial intelligence were also very insightful. While we’re still in the early stages, this moment offers an opportunity to shape how these technologies will support resilience, efficiency and smarter decision‑making in the utility sector. Staying curious and open‑minded is essential if we want to successfully lead sustainable transformation.”
José Roberto Zelada, Head of Instrumentation, LaGeo, S.A. of C.V., El Salvador
“For us, as electricity producers in El Salvador, the Global Forum is extremely valuable. We can gain a better understanding of the various technologies and see how they can be integrated into our power plant. We generate electricity using geothermal steam, so I’m interested in measurement technology for steam, temperature, flow and pressure. I have seen many interesting things here at the exhibition and appreciate the practical focus of the presentations. At the same time, the Inspiring Sessions show where we’re headed and that we must prepare together for that future.”
Teseo Santamaria, Commercial Director, Termiz, Mexico
“I came to the Global Forum primarily because, as manufacturers of industrial boilers, we use technologies for gas, water and steam management, and in this area we work with Endress+Hauser solutions. That’s why I found it interesting to see the full range of technologies here at the exhibition and to see just how varied the applications are – far beyond what I had known before. I was also very interested in the topics of sustainability and artificial intelligence: seeing how sustainability can be applied in a concrete and productive way, and what potential AI offers our industry and our customers. That’s definitely something I’m taking away with me.”
Ronald Diedering, Head of Procurement Manufacturing & Capex, dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health, Netherlands
“For me, the Global Forum is above all a valuable platform for exchange: seeing familiar faces, making new connections and gaining insights into current technologies. I found the practical insights shared by another large corporation on Raman technology particularly exciting – a topic we at dsm-firmenich are also currently focusing on more heavily. The networking was also worthwhile: I not only reconnected with long-standing contacts but also met colleagues from other locations within my company in person for the first time. The Inspiring Sessions also demonstrated once again how important it is to think more in terms of possibilities – that is, to ask ‘What if?’ instead of ‘What is?’”
Matthias Polland, Managing Director, PM-Technik, Germany
“As a company, we operate in the water and wastewater sector, with a clear focus on drinking water – from the source through treatment to distribution. The Global Forum is the perfect place to discover new products and talk directly with the experts. One solution from Endress+Hauser BioSense was particularly interesting to us this year: It enables laboratory-quality microbiological analysis to be performed directly on-site. This gives our customers the ability to obtain critical quality data faster and more cost-effectively. That alone made the visit worthwhile.”
Michael Heinzelmann, Badische Stahl Werke, Germany and Fabian Konzelmann, Badische Stahl Engineering, Germany
“This was our first time participating in the Global Forum – and overall, it was a very successful event. We were particularly impressed by the combination of presentations, the exhibition and opportunities for networking. With so many Insight Sessions taking place simultaneously, you can choose the topics that are relevant to your own work. We were especially impressed by the presentation on AI, which clearly demonstrated the potential direction of the technology’s development. Much of what was on display at the exhibition was already familiar to us from our daily work, but we kept discovering new features and approaches that we’ll be exploring more closely in the future. And the chance to talk with other participants just happens naturally – for example, over lunch.”
