Hall 4.0 at Frankfurter Buchmesse will focus on the future of the publishing and information industries. International academic publishers, providers of specialist information and educational media, and publishing service providers will present their programs and solutions there. The Innovation Stage (4.0 H106) will highlight industry developments through product presentations and micro-conferences.
The international scientific and specialist publishing sector will be located in aisles C to F in Hall 4.0. Exhibitors will address shared topics such as open access, artificial intelligence, and new forms of scientific communication. Libraries, which play a central role as both users and facilitators of information, will also be featured. On Friday, Librarians Day will take place on the Innovation Stage (4.0 H106), offering discussions on open access models and library services.
Publishing Partners—service providers to the international publishing and information industries—will also be strongly represented in Hall 4.0. Their exhibition area will be located toward the front of the hall, primarily in aisles E to H. These companies provide software solutions, consulting services, and digital tools that support publishers and libraries in areas such as digital transformation.
During the week leading up to the fair, they will host digital masterclasses covering topics including artificial intelligence, e-book and audio production, and digital distribution channels. At the fair itself, this group will appear on the Innovation Stage, particularly on Thursday afternoon.
In addition to science and publishing services, Hall 4.0 will include international education providers, mainly located in aisles A and B. The number of exhibitors from Singapore has increased; the country’s education system is recognized internationally for its effectiveness and global orientation, and its learning materials are widely used abroad. Exhibitors in the field of educational technology (EdTech) will present technology-based educational content, including language learning tools.
German-language educational media providers will be found on Levels 3.0 and 3.1. This area also includes the Education Forum (Forum Bildung, 3.1 D12), which will feature a German-language programme addressing education policy, pedagogy, didactics, and the current conditions for educational media publishers. A new addition this year is the “Praxis-Forum Bildung,” which will take place on Friday and include panel discussions and workshops for teachers and other education professionals. The Education Forum is a joint initiative of Frankfurter Buchmesse and the Association of Educational Media (Verband Bildungsmedien e. V.).
Starting in 2025, the former Stage 4.0 will be known as the Innovation Stage, powered by Digital Science. Located in aisle H, stand 106, next to a networking area, it will feature a curated programme focused on topics such as artificial intelligence, open access, and freedom of research and publication.
A new addition this year will be the “Friday Innovation Talks powered by Frankfurter Buchmesse, Bookwire, and Pondus,” taking place on 17 October 2025 from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. The programme will involve organizations including the Society for Scholarly Publishing, the Charleston Conference, Springer Nature, Cambridge University Press, and Elsevier. The complete Innovation Stage programme is available on the Frankfurter Buchmesse website, with selected highlights included later in this press release.
On Wednesday morning, bookcareers.com will open the programme with a one-hour session titled How to Futureproof Your Publishing Career (15 October 2025, 9:00–10:00 a.m., Innovation Stage), aimed at young professionals and others interested in career development. This will be complemented by a free bookcareers Career Clinic at Frankfurt, offering 15-minute coaching sessions on Friday during the fair. Appointments must be booked online in advance.
Over the weekend, Hall 4.0 will focus on students and early-career professionals as part of Campus Weekend. Events will include career guidance and networking opportunities during Young Professionals Day, organized by Mediacampus Frankfurt and the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, along with sessions offering insights into science and research. The Innovation Stage (Hall 4.0 H106) will serve as the main meeting point, featuring a job board on both days. Additional information will be available at the Azubistro (Hall 1.2 F27). The Campus Weekend programme will be held in German.
Click here to read the original press release.
