- 10/10/2025
- Press release
it-sa Expo&Congress sets new standards in 2025 – record figures and international appeal
Written by Stefanie Markert
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Written by Stefanie Markert
Five exhibition halls, new records and a significant increase in visitor numbers: with 28,267 trade visitors from 64 countries (2024: 25,830, 65 countries) and 993 exhibiting companies (2024: 897), it-sa Expo&Congress is setting new standards in 2025. Europe's leading trade fair for IT security is growing not only in terms of numbers, but also in its international relevance. “it-sa Expo&Congress is further expanding its role as a central meeting place for personal exchange among IT security experts in Europe,” explains Thimo Holst, Exhibition Director of it-sa. “The increase in visitor numbers of more than nine percent and the rise in international participation of over 22 percent show how important it-sa has become for international dialogue on cyber security. This is where the cyber security community meets to jointly address the cross-border challenges of digital security.”
This year, it-sa Expo&Congress emphasised its international significance not only through strong international visitor growth, but also through the participation of key players in the European cyber security landscape. In addition to the support provided by the conceptual sponsors, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and Bitkom e. V., as well as the premium partner, the German IT Security Association (TeleTrusT), the presence of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) at a joint working meeting in cooperation with the BSI and the support provided by the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO) are particularly noteworthy.
On the first day of the trade fair, BSI President Claudia Plattner announced that the German Federal Government had designated the Federal Office for Information Security as the notifying and market surveillance authority for the implementation of the Cyber Resilience Act vis-à-vis the European Commission.
Numerous representatives from politics and from state and supranational institutions from Germany and abroad also used the trade fair as a platform for exchange and networking. With joint booths from Israel, the Netherlands, Austria, Czechia and the US state of Virginia, the global diversity of the industry was also visible in the exhibition halls. At a ceremony to mark the opening of the trade fair at the headquarters of the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann emphasised the importance of IT security for the economy and the state.
In addition to international participation, new strategic partnerships were also formed, further strengthening the nternational character of it-sa. During it-sa Expo&Congress, a letter of intent was signed between NürnbergMesse and ECSO to deepen strategic cooperation. In addition, a new event partnership with Swiss Cyber Security Days was announced, which will strengthen exchanges between Germany and Switzerland.
In the live pitch for the ATHENE Startup Award UP25@it-sa, Infrafon from Freiburg came out on top at the it-sa Expo&Congress on Wednesday afternoon, securing first place and prize money of €7,500. The company impressed with an innovative solution for secure access control in regulated environments.
Onekey from Düsseldorf took second place and received €5,000 for its platform for automated security analysis of networked devices.
Third place went to Nenna.ai from Berlin. The company received prize money of €2,500 for its data protection-compliant infrastructure for AI use.
With more than 70 sessions and workshops, Congress@it-sa offered in-depth insights into current challenges and solutions in IT security. Key items on the agenda included the annual conference of IT security officers in federal states and local authorities, and presentations on governance, risk management and compliance.
it-sa also impressed with the high quality of the encounters, as exhibitors met with a highly interested specialist audience that was specifically looking to discuss current challenges and solutions in IT security. The supporting programme was a crowd-puller, attracting numerous trade visitors with more than 400 forum contributions in six open forums. Highlights included it-sa insights with panels on topics ranging from career opportunities for women in IT security to the new CIO Match format, which specifically brought together C-level executives and exhibitors in an exclusive setting.
The it-sa 365 digital platform not only supported visitors to the trade fair on site but also made key content available online. Numerous forum contributions were broadcast live, and exciting expert interviews were streamed live from the it-sa@home studio directly to the internet – ideal for anyone who was unable to attend in person in Nuremberg.
With features such as the Digital Guide, which included an interactive hall plan, exhibitor and product search, and matchmaking tools, it-sa 365 provided orientation and promoted targeted networking. Over 16,350 users utilise the platform's offerings – proof of the growing importance of hybrid trade fair formats.
Even after the trade fair, the platform remains a valuable knowledge repository: forum posts will be published on the it-sa 365 digital platform after the trade fair and will remain available free of charge to registered users.
Next year's it-sa Expo&Congress will take place from 27 to 29 October 2026 at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg.
Don't miss the digital trade fair recap on 27 November 2025 on the it-sa 365 digital platform.
