After a four-year wait, InnoTrans is back and will open at Berlin’s ExpoCentre City on 20 September. The exhibition − one of the leading items in the transport technology calendar – runs for three days till 23 September and is set to be a huge occasion.
In 2020, the exhibition became one of the many casualties of the covid outbreak and was initially pushed back to April 2021. However, as the pandemic dragged on it was again postponed, this time for a further 18 months down the line. Thankfully, it will now go ahead in a world where the threat of covid and its accompanying restrictions are much reduced.
InnoTrans 2022 will be a bumper event. In 2018, the exhibition attracted 3,062 exhibitors from 61 countries, presenting their latest innovations to 153,421 trade visitors. Bookings for floor space at this year’s exhibition surpassed 2018 totals over 12 months ago, and 98% of the display area was booked up by the start of 2022 – an impressive feat given that 10,000m2 of space has been added to the exhibition grounds since the last show.
Future of mobility
The theme of this year’s event is ‘The future of mobility in times of climate change’, a particularly pertinent topic after Europe’s record-breaking heatwaves have caused havoc for the continent’s transport systems.
As always, the exhibition will open with a panel discussion featuring high-profile politicians and industry players, and invitations have been extended to more than 1,000 senior national and international figures. Federal Minister for Digital and Transport Dr. Volker Wissing will welcome the international visitors to this year’s event and European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, is also expected to attend.
Currently, the following industry figures are also scheduled to attend: Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn AG; Peter Spuhler, CEO of Stadler Rail; Henri Poupart-Lafarge, president of Alstom Transport S.A.; and Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility GmbH.
Associations from across the globe will represent the industries of their respective countries, including Swissrail (Switzerland), MAFEX (Spain), JORSA (Japan), ARIA (South Africa), CAMET (China), CRIDA (Taiwan), KORSIA (Korea) and ALAF (Argentina). Taking part for the first time will be the International Monorail Association, an association dedicated to promoting the monorail sector worldwide. Furthermore, a combined stand featuring Zeleros Hyperloop and Hardt Hyperloop will present the latest developments in ultra-fast overland hyperloop transport systems for passengers and freight.
Exhibition space
InnoTrans extends across the grounds of ExpoCentre City, occupying forty-two halls and an outdoor display space – a total area of 200,000 m².
To ensure that exhibitors and visitors are able to keep their bearings, the exhibition is divided into five segments: Railway Technology; Railway Infrastructure; Public Transport; Interiors; and Tunnel Construction.
The outdoor display is the highlight of the show. Vehicles will be presented on tracks located directly adjacent to the exhibition halls. From high-speed trains to hybrid locomotives; road-rail vehicles to trams – this is where manufacturers present their new products to the trade public. This year, exhibitors will show over 100 vehicles, all pushing the envelope of rail innovation.
Siemens Mobility and Deutsche Bahn are presenting the H2goesRail project and the Mireo Plus H, a new generation of fuel cell-powered trains. Stadler is taking part with seven vehicles this year and Tatravagónka, a goods wagon manufacturer from Slovakia, is planning to make a big appearance with six vehicles supplementing its hall stand. Trade visitors can also look forward to presentations from Alstom, Siemens, Vossloh, Plasser & Theurer and many other major exhibitors.
Conference corner
Innotrans has hosted the Conference Corner since 2016. This event, which features lectures and conferences organised by travel organisations and companies, takes place from the final day of the exhibitions, onwards. This year, the Hyperloop Conference will take centre stage. As the first international conference on high-speed transportation worldwide, it will feature a wide range of formats and topics surrounding ultra-high-speed transportation. The event will include keynote speeches, panel discussions, masterclasses, and Q&A forums focusing on the challenges that the hyperloop eco-system poses for mass transit, and the challenges for goods transport.
New for 2022, the Mobility+ Corner in Hall 7.1c will feature lectures on the future of multi-modal transport, include smart charging infrastructures, digital passenger data surveys and the future of public transport. Mirko Ross, cybersecurity expert and CEO of asvin GmbH, will hold a lecture on the security challenges of intermodal mobility. Visitors to the trade fair can also try out some of the solutions on their way to the exhibition grounds or in Berlin’s city centre.
Innovation tours
To complement this packed itinerary, visitors can also experience the latest rail breakthroughs at first hand on one of the exhibition’s World Innovation Tours. Senior company representatives will be on hand to welcome participants to their stands, where they can discover everything about their latest innovations. There is, of course, also the opportunity to ask questions.
Tours will run several times a day, lasting around 90 minutes taking in 10 stops. Visitors will be provided with headsets for translation. The tours will be broken down into area of interest which will include:
- Railway technology
- Railway technology (drive and bogies)
- Railway technology (energy and electrical engineering)
- Public transport and interiors
- Railway infrastructure and tunnel construction
Looking forward
Bringing together visitors and exhibitors from around the globe, the size and scope of InnoTrans cements is reputation as one of the most important events on the rail industry’s exhibition calendar. Showcasing the latest innovations from industry’s top names, along with its smallest players and all those in between, the event provides a snapshot of current thinking and technological progress. As a key forum for networking and discussion, InnoTrans will explore the most prominent challenges facing the transport sector and encourage dialogue to provide solutions.
InnoTrans 2022 takes place from 20-23 September. For further information and to purchase tickets, visit www.innotrans.com.
