InnoTrans 2018 Recap:
The Future
“TheFutureofMobility” The Future of Mobility”
was the theme of this year’s
InnoTrans, the bi-annual
international trade fair for the
rail industry held by Messe
Berlin in Berlin, Germany.
By Mass Transit staff
T
HIS YEAR THERE WERE 146 WORLD PREMIERES, HIGHlighting
the importance of the event as a showcase of innovation
and economic driver of the sector, said Christian
Göke, chief executive offi cer, Messe Berlin GmbH.
Covering 2,152,782 square feet, this year’s event included
155 vehicles on the outdoor track display and 10 buses in the
outdoor bus display. Th ere were 3,062 exhibitors from 62
countries and they anticipate more than 130,000 attendees
over the four-day event.
Th e bus display was fi rst introduced in 2016 and this year
the International Bus Forum was introduced to accompany
the display. Th e theme of the forum is “Electric buses in public
transport — Th e solution to attaining clean air and climate
targets in urban transport?”
Ben Möbius, managing director, Verband der Bahnindustrie
in Deutschland e.V. (VDB), said the rail industry is moving
innovation forward in e-mobility and automated systems.
Electric mobility is moving people with less impact on the
environment and automation is aff ording transit operators to
run on a tighter schedule to increase capacity. Th e essence of
innovations for the railway industry, he said, is that it makes
good sense and it’s great fun to ride rail.
Philippe Citroën, director general, Union des Industries
Ferroviares Européennes (UNIFE), said there are several megatrends
continuing to lead development in the railway industry
and are expected to continue to the further growth in the market.
Th ose include urbanization, population growth, globalization
and increasing environmental awareness. Th e growth
of the market is being driven by all product segments, he said,
but also said it will undergo a massive transformation due to
digitalization, automation, artifi cial intelligence, cybersecurity
and innovative fi nancing models.
14 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | NOVEMBER 2018
/MassTransitmag.com