InnoTrans 2026 puts future rail resilience in focus

InnoTrans 2026 will open in Berlin with Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Mobility and Tourism, leading the ceremony. The anniversary edition of the transport technology trade fair is scheduled for September 22–25, 2026, and will bring together political figures, rail operators, infrastructure managers, and major manufacturers.

The opening ceremony will take place at the Messe Berlin exhibition venue. Patrick Schnieder, Germany’s Federal Minister of Transport, is also expected to attend. The fair comes as the European rail sector is working through several strategic priorities at the same time: digitalization, infrastructure investments, ERTMS, cybersecurity, and railway network capacity expansion. The official InnoTrans Opening Ceremony page describes the event as a gathering of senior representatives from business, science, and politics.

For several senior industry figures, the event will have an added layer of significance. Evelyn Palla, the new CEO of Deutsche Bahn, will attend her first major international trade fair since taking over the company. Martin Sion, the new CEO of Alstom, will be in a similar position. Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility, and Petr Novotny, CEO of the Škoda Group, will also be among the industry representatives at the opening.

InnoTrans 2026 conference to focus on rail strategy

The opening debate will focus on global mobility, major transport projects, and growth opportunities across the industry. Kerstin Schulz, director of InnoTrans, described the event as the transport technology industry’s most important meeting place.

“As the most important meeting place for the transport technology industry, InnoTrans stands out not only for its technical innovations and world premieres, but also for its intensive professional exchange,” said Kerstin Schulz, director of InnoTrans.

She said the organizers were proud to again welcome a large group of high-level speakers and participants from across the sector.

“The InnoTrans Conference and the entire accompanying program send a strong signal about the importance of networking and professional exchange,” said Kerstin Schulz.

The InnoTrans conference will be one of the central parts of the 2026 program. Its dialogue forums will bring together policymakers, companies, academic institutions, and transport operators for discussions on digitalization, sustainable transport, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and innovative technologies. The official InnoTrans Convention program lists the Dialog Forums, Rail Leaders’ Summit, International Design Forum, International Tunnel Forum, Public Transport Forum, and International Bus Forum as part of the convention structure.

The sessions are intended to support international discussion about strategies and solutions for the mobility of the future. The forums are being organized with the involvement of the German Transport Forum (DVF), the German Railway Industry Association (VDB), UNIFE, the European railway industry association, and ZVEI, which represents Germany’s electrical and digital industries.

Several planned debates will examine how new models for providing railway technology are reshaping the industry. Other sessions will address efficiency in a railway sector that must become more resilient. The future of ERTMS, the European Rail Traffic Management System, will also be on the agenda.

Resilience will remain a recurring theme across the program. One session will look at the durability of future mobility systems, while the German railway industry will hold a dedicated debate on cybersecurity as a transformative factor for rail.

Rail Leaders Summit and infrastructure resilience

The Rail Leaders Summit will form another major part of the InnoTrans 2026 program. The event is aimed at international decision-makers from politics, railway companies, and infrastructure management, with its central focus on resilient rail mobility and comprehensive strategies for robust infrastructure.

The summit is organized by Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, and Messe Berlin. Its announced theme is the development of high-performance railways for the future, with strong infrastructure in a challenging context. Participation will be by invitation only.

A separate area of the program will turn to design, comfort, and the passenger experience in public transportation. At the international design forum, specialists, manufacturers, and mobility service providers will discuss new concepts for vehicle interiors, accessibility, sustainable materials, and the link between functionality and modern design.

This part of the program is connected with the interiors segment for transport vehicles, one of the key areas of the InnoTrans trade fair. The forum is organized by Design Zentrum Berlin.

AI, public transportation, and future mobility

InnoTrans 2026 will also include an international forum on tunnels, organized by STUVA, an association specializing in underground construction and infrastructure. The discussions will cover safety, sustainable construction methods, digitalization, and the use of artificial intelligence in tunnel construction and operation.

The announced topics include the role of tunnels in protecting the environment and improving quality of life. Speakers will also examine how digitalization and artificial intelligence are affecting underground infrastructure projects.

Public transportation will have its own forum, bringing together operators, cities, associations, and technology providers. The focus will be on current developments in the sector and its future outlook, including the role of artificial intelligence in making public transport services more efficient.

The program will also include a bus transport forum organized by the German Transport Forum. Discussions will address alternative propulsion systems, connectivity, and autonomous shuttle solutions, with attention on how these technologies can be implemented and scaled up in public transportation.

Anniversary edition of a global transport technology fair

Held every two years in Berlin, InnoTrans is considered the world’s leading trade fair for transport technology, with a major focus on the rail industry. The 2026 edition will include an anniversary component and will gather representatives from public administrations, operators, infrastructure managers, rolling stock manufacturers, and rail systems suppliers. InnoTrans also states in its official facts and overview section that the fifteenth edition will take place from September 22 to 25, 2026, at Messe Berlin.

Alongside the exhibition, where technical innovations and world premieres are presented, the conference program will emphasize professional exchange between the industry and decision-makers. The main themes of the 2026 edition reflect the sector’s current priorities: digitalization, automation, cybersecurity, ERTMS, resilient infrastructure, and more efficient public transportation services.