Connected Vehicles and Intelligent Logistics

The program on the Industry Stage in Hall 13 kicked off with a McKinsey Morning Talk. Zheren Ma, Founder and CEO of Inceptio Technology, joined Thomas Fang from McKinsey & Company to discuss current developments in the commercial vehicle industry.

The focus then shifted to Vehicle-to-Everything communication, or V2X. Representatives from the Federal Highway Research Institute, Daimler Truck, and Autobahn GmbH des Bundes demonstrated how vehicles, infrastructure, road users, and cloud services are coming together into an interconnected system. By exchanging real-time information on traffic conditions, hazards, and infrastructure status, V2X can improve road safety and traffic efficiency. At the same time, the technology serves as an important foundation for highly automated and autonomous driving.

ZF and logistics company Walter Schmitt then discussed how towing vehicles and trailers can be connected even more intelligently moving forward. The discussion centered on new solutions for more efficient, safer, and highly digitalized transport operations.

National Bike Logistics Conference on the Last Mile

At noon, the Industry Stage became the gathering point for the German cargo bike logistics sector. Under the banner "Crossing Borders – Crossing Vehicles," the National Bike Logistics Conference explored how cargo bikes and bicycle logistics can become an integral part of modern, multimodal last-mile delivery.

Companies, municipalities, industry associations, research institutions, and policymakers discussed international developments, new business models, and practical applications. A keynote from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg highlighted the economic viability of commercial cargo bikes. Representatives from French cargo bike manufacturer Kleuster then shared insights into use cases from France and their collaboration with local authorities.

To close out the event, the German Bike Logistics Association, the VDA, and the Federal Association of Courier Express Parcel Services held a panel discussion on how to better connect different transport modes and build suitable interfaces for sustainable urban logistics.

Startup Pitches on the prototype.club Stage

On the prototype.club Stage in Hall 12, Friday once again belonged to young companies and their ideas. The Startup Pitches offered visitors the chance to discover new technologies and business models while connecting directly with founders. In doing so, the stage wrapped up the IAA Conference with a clear focus on innovation and collaboration between startups and established enterprises.

Dangerous Goods Symposium 2026

In addition, the Federal Ministry of Transport and the VDA hosted Hazardous Goods Day 2026 in the Convention Center. The event centered on recent updates to dangerous goods regulations and the future of safe hazardous material transport.

The program offered an overview of upcoming 2027 international regulatory changes, including updates to ADR vehicle approvals. Other topics covered ongoing discussions within international hazardous goods committees, new research findings, and updates from the Federal-State Expert Committee on the "Transport of Dangerous Goods."

The digitalization of transport documentation also played a central role. Starting in 2027, European mandates for electronic freight transport information must be implemented. Hazardous Goods Day highlighted what these new requirements will mean for businesses and regulatory authorities.