High energy prices are casting a shadow over the world's largest industrial trade fair, Hannover Messe, as companies grapple with rising costs and ongoing global uncertainty.

Several exhibitors say they are accelerating efficiency measures and increasing investment in renewable energy, while searching for ways to remain competitive in a volatile market.

"The war in Iran and the current conflict in the Strait of Hormuz make one thing all too clear," Germany's defense minister Boris Pistorius told delegates at a showcase speech on Monday.

Pistorius highlighted the broader geopolitical risks affecting energy markets. "All of us here are feeling the impact on supply chains or on energy supplies, some sooner, others later," he explained

Persistently high electricity prices are forcing some European companies to scale back production or delay investment decisions, raising concerns about long-term damage to the region's industrial base.

German, British, and Italian companies in particular rely heavily on electricity generated from natural gas, with shipments disrupted by tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. 

While some businesses are struggling to stay afloat, others are seeking new opportunities in the crisis.

Klaus Schirmer, co-founder of energy system supplier CYTOK, pointed to the shifting dynamics of global supply.

He told CGTN: "The Strait of Hormuz is closed so we do not get energy from Qatar - we get LNG from the United States. But we have some problems with the United States too at the moment so the world is not as stable as in the years before and people are watching for solutions and so we definitively see growing requests for our technology also."

Schirmer's company develops systems that convert surplus solar power into synthetic methane, a technology designed to reduce dependence on volatile energy markets. 

At the same time, other exhibitors are focusing on digital solutions to improve efficiency.

"Basically, our solution is to focus on the development of energy management software," said marketing manager Maria Dias, explaining the growing demand for Microprocessador's software tools. 

Her company saw up to 40 per cent percent more customer requests during recent energy crises

"We are receiving more requests from our customers and they want to reduce energy costs. They need to have solutions otherwise they cannot produce because the price of the energy is too high."

The surge in requests for energy management solutions is expected to continue if tensions in the Strait of Hormuz remain unresolved, keeping pressure on global energy supplies and industrial competitiveness.