After a four-year wait, InnoTrans 2022 is back, welcoming 2,834 exhibitors and thousands of guests. From 20-23 September, the international trade fair will showcase new technologies across 42 display halls and its outdoor display area.
The trade fair has postponed twice in the wake of Covid-19 and this is the first time the entire transport industry is meeting in person since the pandemic.
“Nothing comes close to meeting in person, seeing old friends again and making new contacts on the stands and at the many specialist events that accompany the trade fair,” said Martin Ecknig, CEO of event organisers Messe Berlin. “No video presentation, regardless of how well made, can replace seeing, hearing, smelling and even testing products at the event.”
Exhibitors from 56 countries are taking part at the event which will occupy the entire exhibition grounds, including the new fair hall hub27 and outdoor display areas. The world of transport technology and mobility is represented in 42 display halls and on a total area of 200,000 square metres.
“InnoTrans provides a market coverage that is unparalleled anywhere in the world,” said Kerstin Schulz, director of InnoTrans. “The products and services include drive systems, buses, cybersecurity, ERTMS, AI, maintenance, trams, hydrogen-powered trains and dual-mode vehicles.
“I am also especially looking forward to the many international delegations, including from Egypt, Korea, Japan, Brazil, the USA, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.”
With a focus on sustainability, this year InnoTrans is displaying 124 new vehicles on 3,500 metres of rail track and the outdoor displays. Siemens Mobility is presenting the Mireo Plus H, the next generation of hydrogen-powered trains, as well as the Mireo Plus B, which features a high-performance modular battery system. The hydrogen-powered passenger train Coradia iLint from Alstom is currently in service on commercial lines in Germany, and is due to operate twice daily from Berlin-Spandau to Berlin-Ostbahnhof. Guests of Alstom and selected partners will be able to enjoy a test ride.
Stadler is taking part with seven vehicles this year. For the first time the company is showing the public its hydrogen-powered FLIRT H2 multiple unit train for the American passenger rail market. In addition, Stadler is presenting its latest-generation TINA tram. This features a fully integrated drive system which for the first time allows for a completely new interior concept that dispenses with steps and platforms.
At numerous specialist events InnoTrans will be encouraging debate on topics surrounding sustainable mobility. Today at 4pm, the InnoTrans Convention will kick off with the Rail Leaders‘ Summit. In addition to Adina Vălean and Dr Volker Wissing, speakers will include ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst and industry representatives from Canada, Australia, Japan, and the USA.
Over the next four days, Dialogue Forums held by Verband der Bahnindustrie (VDB), Deutsches Verkehrsforum (DVF), Union des Industries Ferroviaires Européennes (UNIFE), Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (VDV) and Verband der Elektro- und Digitalindustrie (ZVEI) will take place.
Rail transport is increasingly becoming part of a world of networked mobility and InnoTrans 2022 takes this trend into account by introducing the new Mobility+ segment. Exhibitors displaying supplementary mobility services will come together with national and international transport companies, transport networks, and administrations to present their concepts and systems to the industry.
Bringing together visitors and exhibitors from around the globe, the size and scope of InnoTrans cements its reputation as one of the most important events on the rail industry’s exhibition calendar. Showcasing the latest innovations from the 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. Over the next four days, InnoTrans will explore the most prominent challenges facing the transport sector and encourage dialogue to provide solutions.
Image credit: Messe Berlin GmbH
