Countdown for the IZB 2022 from 11 to 13 October

New key topics, new exhibitors: the countdown to the International Suppliers Fair (IZB), which will take place in Wolfsburg from 11th to 13th October with a changed concept and nearly fully booked exhibition area, has now begun. Nearly 900 exhibitors from 36 different countries have signed up to showcase their products and services at the trade fair for the automotive supplier industry. 

This year’s event will feature an increased number of exhibitors from the software and IT industry. Their interest in the IZB demonstrates the importance of the key topics of the trade fair: Autonomous Driving, Connectivity, Cyber Security, Electrification, E-mobility, Production 4.0 and Software.

The companies exhibiting at the event will present their products and innovations in an exhibition area covering a total of around 40,000 square metres in six halls. “Digitalisation, electrification and autonomous driving are constantly developing and are still the expert topics that define the industry. They are changing the product itself and also have an impact on the manufacturing processes and supply chains behind it. With its impressive reputation as a specialist trade fair for companies in the automotive supplier industry throughout Europe, the IZB focuses on this transformation. The interest in the event and the number of registrations received show how strong and future-oriented the industry really is,” declares Wendelin Göbel, Spokesman of the Board of the IZB organiser, the company Wolfsburg AG.

The restart of the IZB as an in-person trade fair this year has also led to several changes in the concept behind the event. In addition to its new focuses, the organiser also plans to establish a digital platform for broadcasting live formats. These formats range from trend talks and pitches to keynote speeches with industry experts participating via virtual channels. The contents will be streamed live and made available online after the event. In Hall 1, the new IZB Software Marketplace will provide a stage for exhibitors in this segment and offer a variety of communication opportunities.

“As vehicles become increasingly networked, it is important to consider the fact that, for example, innovation cycles in the field of software in the value chain are becoming shorter and shorter. When it comes to this and, indeed, all new developments, personal dialogue between all parties involved is essential in order

to establish procurement and manufacturing processes with long-term success. This is precisely what our new formats aim to facilitate,” explains Josef Schulze Sutthoff, Head of the IZB.

The day before the trade fair, the Automotive Supplier Summit hosted by IPM AG will also take place as a hybrid event at the CongressPark Wolfsburg. This management conference addresses the challenges facing the automotive and supplier industries in the future.

This year’s IZB will continue to explore the entire value chain of “the vehicle” as a product that is developing into a networked end device. The quality of each individual vehicle part and reliable cooperation with hardware and software suppliers help to guarantee the innovation, safety and sustainability of the end product. “In the long run, the industry needs to find promising approaches for the successful integration of the new components, which sometimes does not occur until after the end product has been delivered, for example in the case of individual software applications. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity at the same time,” states Josef Schulze Sutthoff.

The largest exhibitor categories at the IZB 2022 are Electronics & Connectivity, Metal and Powertrain, as well as Chemical Products and Plastics. Around 40 percent of all exhibitors come from locations outside of Germany, with Italy and Spain boasting the largest numbers of representatives. Exhibitors from Australia

will also present their services and products at the IZB for the first time.

Information on exhibitors, innovations and tickets available online Visitors can already prepare for their time at IZB by taking a look at the trade fair’s digital services, for example the up-to-date list of registered exhibitors on the IZB website. In the run-up to the event, the IZB Media Center will feature an increasing

number of audiovisual presentations by participating companies. 

Information on the exhibitors’ innovations is also being gradually added to the online innovations@izb report, with this year’s edition focusing on products and services connected to the trade fair’s new key topics.

Visitors will be able to purchase day tickets and three-day tickets for their trip to the IZB in the online shop from the end of July. The tickets will be available as mobile tickets to enable contactless admission to the event.

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