Reinhausen Celebrates 100 Years of the Jansen Patent with Customers and Partners at CWIEME 2026
Berlin / Regensburg, May 2026 – Reinhausen (MR) celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Jansen patent at CWIEME, the leading international trade fair in Berlin. The historic invention of the resistor-type tap-changer was the reason for the celebration. However, the focus of the festivities was on the people and companies worldwide who, together with Reinhausen, are shaping the development, stability, and future of energy supply systems.
In the idyllic summer garden of Messe Berlin, Reinhausen brought together the past, present, and future of energy technology as part of CWIEME 2026. Around 400 customers, partners, and industry experts from over 30 countries gathered in the specially constructed “Reinhausen Dome”—a circular structure with a 25-meter diameter—to celebrate past shared successes, strong current cooperation, and collective optimism for the future.
A Century of Innovation – Driven by Partnership
Since Dr. Bernhard Jansen applied for a patent in July 1926, the resistor-type tap changer has been a key component of a safe and stable power supply worldwide. Solutions from Reinhausen regulate approximately 50 percent of the world’s electricity flow—as part of the global “power triangle” of energy technology formed by transformer manufacturers, grid operators, and Reinhausen itself.
“Today we are not only celebrating an invention and its central role in power grids to this day,” emphasized Wilfried Breuer, a member of Reinhausen’s Executive Board. “We are celebrating the people and partners who have worked with us over the decades to make electrical energy safe, efficient, and sustainably accessible—and who will shape the all-electric society with us in the future.”
Stability for an electric future
The celebrations impressively brought together the past, present, and future of the energy world. Immersive videos inspired guests from around the world by transporting them to the world of the 1920s, showcasing impressive solutions of the present, and offering inspiration for the future of energy technology. The event took the audience on a journey through 100 years of technological history, while looking clearly toward the future: an energy future with increasing demands on grids, stability, and flexibility.
In his speech, Dr. Nicolas Maier-Scheubeck, spokesperson for Reinhausen’s management board, emphasized the central importance of electrical energy for the economy and society. At the same time, he pointed out that only a relatively small proportion of the energy used worldwide is currently in the form of electricity. He noted that the industry represented in the room is making a decisive contribution to significantly increasing this proportion in the future while ensuring the stability of energy systems.
Given the growing global demand for energy, it has become clear: Today’s challenges resemble those of 100 years ago—but on an entirely new scale.
Shared Responsibility for the Energy Transition
A special highlight of the gala evening was the keynote speech by Prof. Konstantin Papailiou, current President of CIGRE and one of the most internationally renowned experts in energy technology. In his speech, he acknowledged the significance of the Jansen patent for the development of modern power grids and emphasized the industry’s shared responsibility. “There is no Plan B. The path to a decarbonized world that runs largely on electricity is our only logical future, and we can only take on the responsibility of shaping this transition in a stable and responsible manner by working together.”
Prof. Papailiou also made his positive view and optimism clear in his moving speech through his request to the future Reinhausen CEO, Wilfried Breuer: “Please put me on the guest list for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Jansen patent.”
Mission and Promise for the Next 100 Years
The guiding principle of the event – that the future of energy will not be created in isolation, but through the collaboration of manufacturers, grid operators, industry, and research -- ran through every part of the program.
The response from international guests was clear, and the most frequent request from customers to Reinhausen was: “Keep doing exactly what you’ve done for the past 100 years.”
For Reinhausen, this is both recognition and a commitment: to continue working with its partners to develop solutions that meet the growing demands on grids, decarbonization, and supply security.
About Reinhausen
Reinhausen ensures load flow, power quality, and the availability of critical grid assets for manufacturers and operators. Half of the electricity consumed worldwide is regulated using Reinhausen solutions, making them correspondingly significant for the success of the energy transition. With 50 affiliated companies, the group is present in 27 countries at a total of 62 locations. Most recently, 5,500 employees generated revenue of EUR 1.5 billion. The history of the family business spans more than 150 years since its founding in 1868, six generations, fundamental patents such as the Jansen patent of 1926, and continuously strong, innovation-driven growth.
