We are probably experiencing the most challenging period in the history of mobility. The target imposed by new decarbonisation policies has triggered a huge and complex transition for the sector, as environmental, economic and industrial sustainability must be taken into account and, last but not least, social resilience. No one is exempt from this transformation: from raw material suppliers to component suppliers, from researchers to HR managers, and the list could go on. This and more will be discussed during the upcoming Futurmotive Expo & Talks, to be held at BolognaFiere from 16 to 18 November: yet another conference on green mobility? In a sense, but that is not the point. Every day, mass communication reminds us that time is running out on the green transition, a transition that in our industry goes hand in hand with new digital solutions and the emergence of so-called SDVs (Software Defined Vehicles). Car makers’ R&D divisions are designing the next electric car and the one after that at breakneck speed, governments are discussing deadlines to end internal combustion engines, energy suppliers need to redefine the supply chain to produce electricity from renewable sources, tech-hubs and start-up accelerators are pouring out a steady stream of technological innovations, stakeholders tend to polarise, siding with electric or championing alternative solutions, such as synthetic fuels, biofuels, hydrogen engines and so on. Futurmotive is the perfect setting to meet, exchange ideas and opinions, show and describe how they will contribute to decarbonisation and what their vision has produced. The event is a spinoff of Autopromotec, the specialised aftermarket products and equipment trade fair. At this point in time, the organisers felt the need to broaden the usual perspective and create a space where all players from every link in the chain can demonstrate their approach to innovation, with products, services, business ideas, and give concrete proof of their contribution to the ecological transition. Three exhibition halls will host around 200 exhibitors, ready to welcome an audience of entrepreneurs and specialists, with dedicated workshop areas, a guest buyer programme, a pitch&match programme for start-ups and, yes, a stage for international conferences and round tables. In this bold venture, Autopromotec has joined forces with partners such as ANFIA, the Italian Association of the Automotive Industry, the Motor Valley Association and RPM Network, which will present Italian excellence in engineering for the motorsport industry. Icing on the cake, the E-Charge venue, which focuses on the EV charging industry, organised by A151, and the Fleet Manager Academy event, by Econometrica, on the world of mobility-as-a-service and rent-to-rent. The topics discussed will touch on a variety of subjects. Among them, optimising energy consumption is the number one challenge in the car design of the future as it involves making vehicle lighter, and that includes every component, from the body to the powertrain, in which heat-resistant polymers are making their appearance. The digitalisation of the entire system is, of course, a cross-cutting issue. In this scenario, component manufacturers will have to constantly feed car manufacturers with sustainable and digital solutions. State-of-the-art components and parts need innovative workstations and garage equipment. Has the underbody been redesigned to accommodate the battery? Hydraulic lifts and jacks must be redesigned accordingly. Is the car's software able to communicate independently with a workshop? The workshop must reply. But at the beginning and end of this transformation, the ultimate goal is fuel efficiency in a specific ecosystem and infrastructure fit to support the mobility of the future. According to BloombergNEF, global electricity demand from all types of electric vehicles will increase fivefold, from 210TWh in 2022 to 1,027TWh in 2030, before tripling further to 3,251TWh in 2040. Considering these numbers, it will be worth staying for three days at Futurmotive, to reflect, to be informed, to network with the industry community, so that in this race towards the goals of environmental sustainability, opportunities will not be missed, and concrete and feasible solutions can be given due consideration, today and in the near future.
Three simultaneous events
The events Futurmotive - Expo & Talks, E-Charge, and Fleet Manager Academy, held simultaneously at the Bologna Exhibition Centre, provide visitors with an all-round overview of the mobility ecosystem. Futurmotive - Expo & Talks, whose exhibitors are in Halls 14 and 19, is in fact aimed at original equipment manufacturers and spare parts dealers. Next to them we will find car makers and car designers, manufacturers and distributors of innovative garage equipment, but also at the entire tyre supply chain – with an eye on circular economy - besides producers of sustainable fuels, body shop, distribution and service networks. E-Charge, an event organised by A151 and scheduled to take place on November 16 and 17, is aimed at the entire electric vehicle charging supply chain - technologies, infrastructures and services - and will welcome exhibitors in Hall 16: in addition to conferences and workshops, the event will also include the Stati Generali della Ricarica (General States of EV Charging), the first major summit in Italy expressly dedicated to the EV charging industry, scheduled for Thursday 16. Fleet Manager Academy, scheduled for November 16, is the event organised by Uvet Events-Econometrica, in collaboration with Auto Aziendali magazine and under the patronage of Aiaga (Italian Association of Corporate Car Buyers and Managers) and Aniasa (National Car Rental Association and Automobile Services Industry) and dedicated to corporate mobility: it will offer a full day of workshops, seminars and round tables in Hall 31.
Futurmotive Talks, meetings to explore the hot topics of the automotive supply chain
Futurmotive - Expo & Talks will not only be an exhibition: the 'Futurmotive Talks' conferences, whose preliminary programme is already available on the event website, will be concentrated between 16 and 17 November. Many eminent guests are expected from Italian and European institutions as well as from the industry and universities. The event will begin on 16 November with greetings from the institutions, followed at 10.30 a.m. by an in-depth look at one of the key themes of the event: The challenge of decarbonisation in the mobility sector, conducted and moderated by TV journalist Maria Leitner, which will be followed at 12 noon by a conference organised by ANFIA (Car Design Group) and dedicated to artificial intelligence as a new asset in car design. The conference scheduled at 11.00 am, “Aftermarket Report on Connected and Electric Cars”, will be organised by SicurAUTO.it. The afternoon will begin with a conference entitled Energy Sources, Production, Distribution, Usability, led by “Green & Blue” journalist Barbara Gasperini. This will be followed by two more important events for the world of tyres: an international conference entitled The Future of Retreading, followed by the Recircle Awards ceremony, organised by the international magazine Retreading Business. November 17, on the other hand, will open at 9.00 a.m.: Il Sole 24 Ore journalist Filomena Greco will moderate the first conference of the day, Big Data Management and Connectivity, another vital theme for the entire automotive supply chain. The programme will continue at 11.00 a.m. with a conference entirely dedicated to the Motor Valley: Technological investment strategies in Motor Valley, Italy and Europe. The afternoon session, instead, is dedicated to sensitive subjects such as employment and the world of work: in fact, the 3.00 p.m. appointment is entitled Transformation of the labour market in the energy transition, once again moderated by Filomena Greco, and precedes the concluding moment of the Futurmotive Talks event, which will be attended by important representatives of the institutions.
How to exhibit at Futurmotive - Expo & Talks
The Futurmotive event is dedicated to companies that drive the energy transition through technological innovation, new products and processes. Halls 14, 16 and 19 and in outdoor areas 42 and 43 of the Bologna Exhibition Centre, exhibitors will showcase their innovations in a format designed to encourage effective interaction between companies, institutions and opinion leaders in the sector. Companies wishing to participate in the event can visit the Expo section on futurmotive.com and click on "Exhibit at Futurmotive".
