ISH took place from 17 to 21 March 2025, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, with leading European heating companies gathering to showcase latest innovations and technologies. Here are some of the highlights you may have missed.
This month’s ISH exhibition in Frankfurt saw everything from modern bathroom and shower design to renewable heating and smart homes, under the motto ‘Solutions for a sustainable future’.
According to organisers Messe Frankfurt, over 2,000 exhibitors from 55 countries signed up to present future-oriented solutions for HVAC and plumbing.
As ever, the sheer scale of the show and inventiveness of exhibitors demonstrated why ISH is the go-to destination for European heating and plumbing installers, specifiers and architects.
Wolfgang Marzin, president and CEO of organisers Messe Frankfurt, said: “ISH is the leading platform for the industry, where manufacturers, planners, tradespeople and political decision-makers come together to develop sustainable solutions and actively shape the future of the built world.”
In addition to domestic companies, 72% of those exhibiting travelled from outside of Germany, with so many more in the heating halls turning their focus to heat pumps and hybrids.
Manuel Sanchez, head of product and pre-sales at Samsung Electronics Air Conditioner Europe, told HPM at the show: “ISH has traditionally been a global gathering and has been busy again this year with a lot of people most interested in the heat pump market. If you visited 10 years ago you would have struggled to find a heat pump, but now this has flipped completely. ISH is confirmation the industry has changed.”
This year’s exhibition theme was the integration of building solutions including bathrooms, heating, smart controls and indoor air quality.
In sync with this, Samsung showcased its latest monobloc and split air source heat pumps alongside information on its SmartThings app. “This is our main area of differentiation, because we can offer a full solution. With SmartThings we can control the whole installation,” added Manual.
With thousands of exhibitors across dozens of exhibition halls, there was vast innovation on show across dedicated heating and plumbing areas at ISH. Here are some examples:
GOING WITH THE FLOW
A hugely spacious exhibition area in ISH’s Festhalle was the base for Hansgrohe, enabling the eye-catching display of its bathroom and shower launches for 2025. This included the Avalegra AquaUnit, building in an impressive interplay of washbasin and tap in one unit. Water is released with two variations – flowing classically from top to bottom, like a waterfall and also taking the opposite route – bubbling up from below “like a crystal-clear spring”.
In showering, Hansgrohe also launched Activera during ISH, with new FlexPower technology and two spray types ‘Rain with FlexPower’ and ‘ImpactRain’.
RE-INVENTION
Roca invited renowned designers to present their latest work to the media at ISH, including Yves Béhar, pictured, a top international brand and design consultant. Yves showcased his study of a ceramic washbasin described as a ‘reinvention of the washbasin’, shaped to simulate the movement of water in nature and create more space for shaving.
HANDMADE EFFECT
Duravit, meanwhile, showcased its new Balcoon bathroom range from Patricia Urquiola, with natural ceramics colours including earthy terracotta shades setting a new tone for the show. “Clay Terra Matt is the central colour of the new collection. A shade that makes the ceramics look more authentic and handmade,” the designer said.
RE-ENGINEERING
GF Building Flow Solutions presented a new hot and cold-water supply solution to the industry during ISH, with the Uponor I-Shower. Re-engineering the electrical shower mixer unit into the Uponor Combi Port flat station, the I-Shower installation is limited to only one pipe per shower outlet. The powerful combination resulted in energy-saving and hygienic decentralised hot water supply with the shower comfort of electronic mixers.
PARNERSHIPS
Meanwhile, both Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions and Nibe Energy Systems entered into new partnership agreements with British Gas during ISH 2025, providing an expanded and more responsive support network in the UK. Paul Smith, managing director of Nibe Energy Systems UK, said: “By enhancing the skills of British Gas engineers, we are not only expanding our service reach but also strengthening the UK’s expertise in heat pump technology.”
WARMING TO NEW IDEAS
A vast array of heating and plumbing brands use ISH as a launchpad for new innovations to get people talking. One standout example this year was the Kaldewei Nuio Duo bathtub, complete with infrared heat, music and lighting to take the bathing experience into new territory.
With all this and more, ISH once again provided a vibrant exhibition of what’s hot and what’s not for homeowners and installers this year.