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Digital technologies, software and the handling of data are some of the key pioneering topics when it comes to new products, production processes and business models in the mobility sector. From 11th to 13th October 2022, the International Suppliers Fair (IZB) in Wolfsburg will highlight the innovations available in the automotive supplier industry in connection with these topics – all under the motto of “Connecting Car Competence”. Today, the IZB patrons Murat Aksel, Chief Purchasing Officer of the Volkswagen Group, and Dennis Weilmann, Mayor of the City of Wolfsburg, joined Wendelin Göbel, Spokesman of the Board of Wolfsburg AG, to officially open the specialist trade fair at a special ceremony. Around 600 guests from the worlds of business, science and politics and representatives from exhibiting companies attended the celebratory event.

With its restart as an in-person event, Europe’s leading trade fair for the supplier industry is larger and more international than ever before: with an impressive total of 940 exhibitors from 37 different countries, the IZB organiser Wolfsburg AG has broken new records. “The positive response from exhibitors highlights the relevance of the trade fair with regard to the enormous technological and structural transformation of the industry. It represents networking in both senses of the word, firstly as a megatrend of future vehicle mobility and secondly as a symbol of the integration of new product characteristics and their suppliers that are necessary for this mobility”, explains Wendelin Göbel.

The industry is developing a new structure

On an exhibition area of approx. 38,000 square metres in the Allerpark in Wolfsburg, exhibitors ranging from global players to small and medium-sized enterprises are showing their innovations along the entire automotive value chain. This year’s IZB is presenting itself as a showcase for new innovations with a special focus on current key topics such as Electrification, Autonomous Driving, Connectivity, E-mobility, Software, Production 4.0 and Cyber Security. Speaking on behalf of Volkswagen AG, the IZB patron Murat Aksel underlined the importance of appealing to new suppliers from these and other segments for future projects at an early stage: “In the future, we want to work in closer cooperation with our suppliers at a much earlier stage. To achieve this, we need to facilitate agile organisational structures and processes on all levels within the company. Open platforms and interfaces to suppliers all over the globe give rise to immense innovative strength, which will play a significant role in helping Volkswagen to achieve success.”
With these aims in mind, top managers from the fields of purchasing, development, production and data security at Volkswagen are giving talks and presentations on the IZB Live Stage. Initiated by Wolfsburg AG, this new feature, which is incorporated into the IZB Software Marketplace, offers a stage and communication platform for exhibitors and OEMs with regard to trending topics in the world of vehicles.

International expertise and contacts

Forty percent of the exhibitors at the IZB come from locations outside of Germany, thus enabling the event to offer plenty of opportunities for new international contacts. Since 2011, the number of nations participating in the event has continuously increased from six to the current total of 37 different countries. This year, exhibitors from Australia, Greece, Romania and Serbia are attending the event for the first time. This is also beneficial for Lower Saxony as an automotive location, as was emphasised by the Prime Minister of Lower Saxony and IZB patron Stephan Weil in his video message: “The transformation of the industry is giving rise to new supplier relationships worldwide. These in turn offer potential that local companies need to explore and use. Our strategic dialogue on ‘The Automotive Industry in Lower Saxony’ focuses on the task of actively shaping the changes in cooperation with local businesses.” Weil also stated that Lower Saxony can boast significant expertise in the field of wind energy, explaining that topics such as sustainability and “green” products and logistics will play a central role in shaping the mobility of the future on a long-term basis. Sixty companies from the German Land of Lower Saxony are showcasing their products and services at the IZB.

The transformation reflected in the mobility location of Wolfsburg

The main motto of the IZB, “Connecting Car Competence”, is currently more topical than ever before, especially when it comes to the city hosting the IZB, Wolfsburg. Here, a state-of-the-art production facility for Volkswagen’s e-vehicle Trinity is planned to be completed in 2026. This new facility will have a carbon-neutral balance for production and set new standards for autonomous driving, electrification and the digitalisation of mobility. In response to the multitude of representatives from exhibiting supplier companies at the opening ceremony, the Mayor of Wolfsburg, Dennis Weilmann, stated: “The city of Wolfsburg is now one of the leading industrial and automotive locations in Germany and Europe. As a ‘Smart City’ model city, we offer a suitable setting for the new factory and all stakeholders within the industry based in Wolfsburg. This setting includes an outstanding infrastructure for both work and life. The fact that companies of all sizes have located to Wolfsburg, even in the challenging recent months, confirms that we are on the right path.” Over the past 20 years, Wolfsburg AG alone has supported more than 200 location and relocation projects for automotive suppliers.

In the run-up to the IZB Opening Event, more than 350 participants attended the “Automotive Supplier Summit @IZB2022” organised by IPM AG, where they discussed current topics in the industry under the motto of “REThink Automotive”.

Caption: The IZB organiser Wolfsburg AG and the IZB patrons opened the 11th International Suppliers Fair 2022 in Wolfsburg: (from left) Josef Schulze Sutthoff, Head of the IZB at Wolfsburg AG, IZB patrons Murat Aksel, Chief Purchasing Officer of the Volkswagen Group, and Dennis Weilmann, Mayor of the City of Wolfsburg, and Wendelin Göbel, Spokesman of the Board of Wolfsburg AG
Copyright: Wolfsburg AG / Matthias Leitzke

Wolfsburg AG | Communication
Anke Hummitzsch
Telephone: +49 5361 8971156
E-mail: anke.hummitzsch@wolfsburg-ag.com