IAA TRANSPORTATION - Strong association partners for theme days

International speakers will present, analyse, and discuss current topics and trends from the fields of logistics, trade, infrastructure, and communal transport in various formats like keynotes, panel discussions, and fireside chats. For the first time ever, the organiser behind IAA TRANSPORTATION, the Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V. (VDA), is working with leading industry associations and partners who will present at the respective theme days.

The Bundesverband Spedition und Logistik e.V. (DSLV) is taking over the first theme day, "Future Logistics", on 20 September 2022. "Logistics is an important hinge that connects the value-added steps of national economies. In light of global crises, energy scarcities, and growing customer demands, forwarding agencies are doing all they can to stabilise the global acquisition and distribution channels with all transport carriers. The requirements also include binding climate goals for the transport sector. The logistics industry is making use of the innovation of the commercial vehicle manufacturer industry so that high-performance, zero-emission technology can quickly become profitable and highly versatile," says Frank Huster, Chief Director of DSLV.

The second theme day, "Trade and Logistics", on 21 September 2022 will be led by the Handelsverband Deutschland e.V. (HDE). "Trade is faced with considerable challenges in maintaining a functional supply chain. Production bottlenecks, disruptions at ports around the world, and capacity limits in Europe illustrate the current supply issues. In addition to this, there are challenges with climate-friendly logistics that will require considerable investments in the coming years. Now is a good time to learn about current trends in the transport industry in order to be able to react to the coming changes in time," says Handelsverband Director Stefan Genth.

The partner for the third theme day, "Infrastructure", on 22 September 2022 is the Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft e.V. (BDEW). "There are multiple solutions in play for the shift in engine technology, in particular battery-powered and fuel cell-based commercial vehicles. We have yet to see where this road will take us. What we do know is that the transport sector, like the personal vehicle industry, will become further connected with the energy sector, as it provides not only the energy required for this change but also the necessary infrastructure," says Andrees Gentzsch, member of the BDEW Board.

The fourth theme day, "Communal Transport", on 23 September 2022 will be led by the Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen e.V. (VDV). "The mobility sector is undergoing a comprehensive transformation," says VDV Director Oliver Wolff. "This concerns the technical, structural, organisational, and economic components of the entire industry. It is thus more important than ever to no longer compartmentalise individual transportation carriers, but rather to interlink them and facilitate cooperation among them. The automotive sector and public transport must develop joint, stable business models with regard to digitisation and automation. We need strong 'made in Germany' solutions in order to stand up against disruptive and global market participants."

"We want to use the theme days at IAA TRANSPORTATION to find opportunities and challenges that affect us all," says Jürgen Mindel, Director of VDA, about the theme partnerships. "And so we are very pleased with the pledges made by these four strong partner associations. This underlines our brand-new concept, with which we will gain a stronger position than ever as a pioneering and international lead platform for commercial vehicles, transport, logistics, and buses. Our cooperation with these associations is a sign that we can only overcome challenges like climate change and digitisation together."

Further information on the theme days, including the speakers and agenda items visitors can look forward to, will be announced shortly.