Federal President Steinmeier Visits Hager: Focus on Energy Transition and Sustainable Manufacturing

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, accompanied by Saarland Minister-President Anke Rehlinger and foreign diplomats accredited to Germany, visited Hager’s headquarters in Blieskastel. The visit focused on the company’s technologies supporting the energy transition in buildings, as well as modern industrial manufacturing and sustainable production processes. The visit took place as part of the Federal President’s annual information and networking trip with the Diplomatic Corps.

At the beginning of the Saarland visit, the Federal President welcomed the members of the Diplomatic Corps.

Saarland Minister-President Anke Rehlinger said:

“It is a great honor that the Federal President’s traditional visit with the Diplomatic Corps is taking place in Saarland. With our distinguished guests in attendance, we have a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Saarland and demonstrate the strength of our region. The Hager Group is a prime example of innovation made in Saarland. This owner-managed family business is shaping the future of electrification—safely, smartly, and sustainably.”

Daniel Hager, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, emphasized:

“Hager has been deeply rooted in Saarland for more than 70 years. Our region has benefited from cross-border cooperation for decades. Today, the company has a strong European and international presence. This openness, international connectivity, and long-term perspective are defining characteristics of Hager as a family-owned business.”

He also highlighted the special role of the Franco-German border region as a living example of European economic and cultural cooperation.

Hager CEO Sabine Busse said:

“The future is electric. Through intelligent solutions, we are driving the energy transition and creating future-ready buildings.”

She also referred to the company’s investments in innovation, industrial production capacities, and sustainable manufacturing sites. Over recent years, Hager has invested around €550 million worldwide, including more than €70 million at its headquarters in Blieskastel.

During a plant tour, Federal President Steinmeier and members of the Diplomatic Corps gained insights into the company’s manufacturing processes. In Blieskastel, Hager produces meter cabinets and small distribution boards for residential buildings. These products enable simple, safe, and intelligent energy distribution and therefore represent a key component of electrical and digital infrastructure. They form the foundation of the energy transition in buildings. Hager is the market leader in this segment in Germany.

The meter cabinets and distribution boards are mainly manufactured from metal and plastic. Plastic processing inherently generates significant amounts of heat and requires cooling during production. As part of an €18 million investment to expand production capacity, Hager modernized its cooling plant in 2025. The new high-efficiency system reduces annual energy consumption by 1,000,000 kWh, equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 250 to 300 households, and cuts CO₂ emissions by around 234 tonnes per year.

Hager employees also presented the manufacturing process for meter cabinets, from the fully automated production of the cabinet housing and semi-manual final assembly to the manual installation of modular protection devices inside the cabinets as well as an automated AI-based inspection system for quality control. In addition, ergonomic workplace concepts were showcased. Using virtual reality and motion sensors, workplaces are analysed for physical strain and subsequently optimized to support ergonomic movement patterns.