Around 140,000 visitors attend InnoTrans 2022

Credit: Messe Berlin GmbH

After a four year absence, the entire world of transport technology and mobility met once again at the world’s leading trade fair InnoTrans in Berlin from 20-23 September 2022.

This year marked the 13th time the trade fair was held at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds and details from the organisers reveal the 2022 show has registered a similarly high demand as its predecessors.

Numerous visitors, a high level of internationality and many business deals characterise InnoTrans, as do the broad market coverage and high innovation density. With 250 world premieres, the exhibitors presented more innovations than ever before, including 128 vehicles and exhibits on the track and outdoor areas.

InnoTrans organisers have revealed that around 140,000 visitors from over 131 countries came to the world’s leading trade fair this year, at which 2,834 exhibitors from 56 countries were present.

Martin Ecknig, CEO of Messe Berlin, said: “InnoTrans has once again impressively demonstrated that it is the industry summit that shows today what will be on the rail and road tomorrow. Here exhibitors present technologies for sustainable mobility first. InnoTrans is also a platform for international exchange for a trans-European transport network.”

Kerstin Schulz, Director of InnoTrans, said: “After the pandemic-induced break, InnoTrans 2022 has made a phenomenal return. At last the industry family has come together again. After a long wait we were able to exchange ideas in person and look each other in the eye.”

InnoTrans organisers says the proportion of first-time visitors this year was particularly high at 56 per cent, and a total of 57.3 per cent of visitors come from abroad.

The industry reacts

Comments from those within the industry taking part at InnoTrans 2022, include:

Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO, Deutsche Bahn (DB): “We can only shape the future of the railway together with strong partners. That is why the exchange within the industry at InnoTrans is so important. For us as DB, InnoTrans 2022 was a complete success.”

Dr. Florian Eck, Managing Director, German Transport Forum: “We saw a lot of impressive solutions here at InnoTrans with which we can launch into a sustainable and customer-oriented future. These solutions are market-ready and scalable. After a four-year break, you could also tell at this InnoTrans that there is a spirit of optimism in the industry. Everyone is unanimous in the opinion that we are on the right path to a sustainable future – manufacturers, politicians, operators and customers. We have to take this momentum with us and now go into implementation. And above all, the financing for infrastructure and digitalisation must be secured. It’s really now: let’s move!”

Pedro Fortea, General Director, Mafex: “As always, the fair is a great success for our members from the Spanish railway industry. Despite a four-year break, InnoTrans is a lively, visionary event. Especially the high quality of the visitors makes the fair an optimal business environment.”

Axel Schuppe, General Manager, German Railway Industry Association (VDB): “InnoTrans 2022 was a brilliant trade fair. Although Chinese exhibitors were less present than four years ago and Russian exhibitors not at all, there were just as many participants as in 2018 – and even more high-quality business contacts were made, right up to the final day. This exudes optimism for the next two years. At the same time, a dark cloud has loomed over the industry. The energy crisis, raw material prices and exorbitant energy costs are giving our companies a hard time. Here, politics must act quickly and free of dogma. If they do nothing, companies will have to give up or migrate.”

Martin Schmitz, Managing Director Technology, Association of German Transport Companies (VDV): “InnoTrans 2022 was characterised by a great deal of confidence and joy in innovation – despite the current difficult political and economic situation. In the railway industry, we always think strategically and take the long view ahead. That’s why a programme like the European Union’s “Fit for 55″ gives us tailwind: we know we can make a strong contribution to it. The innovations and topics that were in the foreground at InnoTrans 2022 show that we really are shaping the future together here. It was all the more important to meet again after four years and to be able to see the products on site.”

Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Alstom: Once again, InnoTrans 2022, reached its goal to be a unique forum to share our common passions for innovation in transportation. The Alstom team wishes to thank the thousands of visitors from around the globe who came to experience our sustainable and digital mobility solutions. It has been a huge emotion to see the industry gathered again after four years. It was the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to sustainability and our call to modal shift. Among the many business opportunities captured in Berlin, I wish to highlight the MOUs signed with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, since they support our goal to contribute to the greenest rail network.”

Michael Peter, CEO, Siemens Mobility: “InnoTrans is the most important meeting in the industry and we were delighted to finally meet our customers and partners in person again after four years. Under the motto ‘Destination Digital’ we presented to them our new digital business platform Siemens Xcelerator, with which we want to enable open digital interfaces for continuous data exchange between all subsystems of the rail network. This will help our customers to provide sustainable, comfortable and cost-efficient rail transport of the future.”

Peter Spuhler, CEO, Stadler Rail AG: “The feedback from the visitors clearly confirmed to us how inspiring the personal exchange with our customers and partners is for the future of mobility. Stadler presented itself as an innovative provider of sustainable solutions for rail at InnoTrans with seven ultra-modern and sustainable vehicles and a broad portfolio in the signalling and service sector. The response from customers to our world premieres was overwhelming. At Stadler’s large station, as the market leader for alternative drive technologies, we presented, among other things, the first hydrogen-powered multiple unit FLIRT H2 for the USA. During the trade fair, we were able to sign a letter of intent with the California State Transportation Agency and the California Department of Transportation for the delivery of four hydrogen trains. We also had enormous interest in our other exhibits such as the battery electric FLIRT Akku, the latest tram generation TINA or the latest EURO9000 locomotive family.”

Global Railway Review was at InnoTrans 2022, with the team taking the opportunity to meet existing contacts but also meet new industry experts and organisations playing a part in rail’s transformation. Thank you to everyone who took the time to chat with our team and visit our stand. Look out for exclusive interviews from InnoTrans 2022 in the coming days, including among others:

 – Josef Doppelbauer, Executive Director, European Union Agency for Railways

– Michael Thulin, Member of the Board, SWERIG

– Bjorn Asplund, Chairman, SWEDTRAIN

– Joeley Pettit, Director Corporate Affairs, Passenger Rail and Sustainability, Australisian Railway Association (ARA)

– Andreas Haas, Managing Director, Swissrail

– Darren Caplan, Chief Executive, Railway Industry Association (RIA)

– David Clarke, Technical Director, Railway Industry Association (RIA)

– Alexander Burrows, BCRRE Director of Enterprise and Innovation

The Global Railway Review team.