Once again this year, IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 confirms its role as the leading international event for the future of road freight transport. With more than 70 percent of exhibitors coming from outside Germany, the show holds the high level of international participation reached at the last edition. Roughly one third of all exhibitors at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 are taking part for the first time this year. In total, exhibitors are presenting more than 150 world premieres and new products. This year’s IAA TRANSPORTATION will be opened by German Federal Minister for Transport Steffen Bilger. Lower Saxony’s Minister-President Olaf Lies and Hannover’s Mayor Belit Onay will also speak at the opening ceremony, alongside the president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), Hildegard Müller.
This year’s theme, “We Deliver”, sets the tone as exhibitors showcase digital and climate-neutral mobility solutions for the future of road freight transport. The focus is on innovative drive systems, digital technologies, and solutions for a zero-emission, high-performance commercial vehicle industry. At today’s press conference, VDA President Hildegard Müller emphasized the central role the logistics sector plays in the economy and in society.
“The logistics industry delivers every day and keeps Germany and Europe running. It gets food onto supermarket shelves, orders to people’s doors, and parts into factories. The automotive industry is creating the conditions for logistics to keep developing in a climate-neutral and digital direction,” Müller said.
The numbers show just how much road freight matters: it accounted for roughly 84 percent of transport volume in Germany in 2024. Last year, road freight in Germany covered more than 20 billion kilometers and moved around 2.8 billion metric tons of goods. “Our industry is not just one part of the economy among many. It is a cornerstone of our economy. Around 140,000 people are employed directly in the commercial vehicle industry – roughly one in five automotive industry jobs in Germany,” Müller said.
A Strong International Lineup
The figures presented at the press conference make it clear: IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 is staying true to its international character. More than 70 percent of exhibitors come from outside Germany. At the same time, a large number of newcomers is adding extra momentum: roughly one third of exhibitors are taking part in IAA TRANSPORTATION for the first time in 2026.
“The high level of internationality and the large number of first-time exhibitors show how attractive IAA TRANSPORTATION is as a global platform for the commercial vehicle, logistics, and transport sectors. It brings established market leaders, innovative companies, and new players together, creating space for exchange, partnerships, and new business ideas,” said Jürgen Mindel, VDA Managing Director.
Suppliers and body manufacturers are once again a central element of IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026. With more than 766 exhibitors, suppliers remain the backbone of the event. Nearly one in two exhibitors comes from this segment. Body manufacturers are the second-largest exhibitor group at IAA TRANSPORTATION after suppliers, with 240 exhibitors.
“The large number of small and medium-sized businesses among the exhibitors, the more than 150 world premieres and new products, the solutions to a huge range of challenges – all of it is a striking demonstration of the innovative strength and breadth of our industry across the entire value chain,” Mindel said. The supplier industry in particular, he added, is proving how decisive its contribution is to making transport and logistics more efficient, more digital, and more sustainable, and to making the transformation work.