REHACARE INTERNATIONAL 2026 in Düsseldorf has drawn to a close with strong results and clear international appeal. From 23 to 26 September the leading trade fair for rehabilitation, prevention, inclusion and care again became the central meeting point for the international medical devices, rehabilitation and care sectors.
45,000 visitors from 101 countries sought information about medical aids, assistive technologies, mobility solutions, care offerings, digital applications and innovations for self-determined living with just under 1,000 exhibitors from 43 countries. With these figures REHACARE confirmed its special position on the market: bringing together business, care practitioners and users’ direct perspective in one place.
REHACARE also underlined its international standing by way of its visitor structure: one third of visitors came from abroad, 80% of polled attendees were trade visitors. Just under half the trade visitors travelled to Düsseldorf with specific investment plans. Two thirds gathered information on innovations and trends; half the respondents stated having found new products or business partners.
“REHACARE has a unique way of bringing together producers, specialist retailers, care practitioners and international partners with people who use medical devices and their relatives. No other event links these perspectives so immediately. Here, exhibitors receive direct feedback from the community – on everyday requirements and the practical usability of their solutions,” stresses Marius Berlemann, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf. “This makes REHACARE far more than just a product showcase: it is an international marketplace and networking platform for exchange and demand-oriented provision.”
Growing demand for care and inclusion solutions
REHACARE pools the sector’s central developments and challenges – from demographic change and the increasing demand for at-home care to technology innovations. It highlights how solutions for rehabilitation, care, mobility and assistance can contribute to independence, inclusion and needs-based provision. For REHACARE exhibitors this means the demand for practical, reliable and needs-based solutions for rehabilitation, care, mobility, assistance and self-determined living is growing.
Innovations with practical relevance
REHACARE 2026 also provided important impetus in technology terms. Exhibits included solutions from the fields of robotics, exoskeletons, smart mobility, digital care, assistance systems, Artificial Intelligence, adaptive fashion and state-of-the-art provision of assistive devices. The spectrum of innovations made it clear just how much technical developments can contribute to maintaining independence, reducing caregivers’ workload and creating new possibilities for inclusion.
Supporting expert programme and community as strong voices
In 2026 the societal relevance of REHACARE manifested itself in the interplay between the expert programme, community formats and political exchange.
In the community formats content creators, activists as well as persons affected set the tone for the trade fair with their personal views. Hearing from experts like Raúl Krauthausen, Sabrina Lorenz, Moritz Brückner, Tan Caglar and Hülya Marquardt highlight what independent, self-determined living means in everyday life in concrete terms. At the sports halls of the North Rhine-Westphalia Association for Sport for People with Disabilities and Rehabilitation (Behinderten- und Rehabilitationssportverband Nordrhein-Westfalen e. V. – BRSNW) inclusion came to life through sports again: Fortuna Düsseldorf’s blind football team as well as the para-table tennis players Sandra Mikolaschek and Valentin Baus of Borussia Düsseldorf demonstrated just how versatile and high-performance inclusive sports can be.
REHACARE Report provides input for needs-based provision
The REHACARE Report 2026 “Self-Determined Living – Status Quo and the Future of the Provision of Medical Aids in Germany” generated a great deal of interest among the trade audience, community and media. The Study puts the experience of over 1,500 affected persons and their relatives centrestage and highlights the pivotal importance of demand-driven provision of medical devices for independence and inclusion. At the same time, it flags up the need for action: 67% of those polled felt burdened by bureaucratic processes. Quality provision must not be dependent on how much expertise, assertiveness or financial means people have. The provision of medical aids is rather an investment in health, inclusion and prevention.
“REHACARE 2026 has shown that self-determination is not achieved by innovations alone. Decisive is that technical solutions, qualified advice and reliable provision come together,” says Hannes Niemann, Director REHACARE. “The REHACARE Report highlights how instrumental medical aids are to people’s everyday lives: 95% of the respondents saw a positive impact on their lives. This perspective must be the yardstick for us when debating the future of provision.”
International platform with political and social relevance
REHACARE 2026 underscored the great relevance of rehabilitation, care, inclusion and the provision of medical devices for the economy, politics and society. The visit and tour by Jürgen Dusel, Federal Government Commissioner for Matters relating to Persons with Disabilities, as well as by Secretary of State Matthias Heidmeier from the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia elucidated the political relevance of the trade fair as a platform for inclusion, provision and exchange.
The next REHACARE will be held from 15 to 18 September 2027 in Düsseldorf.
Further information
For press material on REHACARE 2026 go to:
www.rehacare.de/de/media-news/presse-material
The complete REHACARE Report 2026 can be downloaded at:
www.rehacare.de/rehacare-report
About REHACARE
REHACARE is the world-leading trade fair for rehabilitation, prevention, inclusion and care. Under the guiding theme of “Self-Determined Living” it brings together people with disabilities and chronic diseases and their relatives with international solutions providers, starts-ups, specialist medical and orthopaedic supplies retailers, associations as well as stakeholders from the fields of politics, healthcare and science.
As an international innovation, business and community platform REHACARE links products and technologies with knowledge transfer, personal experience and social debate.
REHACARE China established in 2023 and held at the Suzhou International Expo Center means the brand is also represented on the Asian market and has already become established as a key platform there. The next REHACARE China will be held from 19 to 21 August 2027.
The portfolio now also includes the AccessAbilities Expo in Dubai, the biggest specialised event for people with disabilities in the Middle East. It presents the latest assistive technologies and solutions that promote inclusion and accessibility in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
The 8th edition of the AccessAbilities Expo will run at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 19 to 21 October 2026.
