Countdown to NUFAM 2023: There have never been more innovations
In just a few days, more than 400 exhibitors from 23 countries from the commercial vehicle industry will meet at Messe Karlsruhe on an area of 80,000 square meters to present the entire range of current and future technology.
From 21 to 24 September, Messe Karlsruhe will once again bring together everything that is important in the commercial vehicle industry. At the eighth edition of NUFAM – The Trade Fair for Commercial Vehicles in Karlsruhe more than 400 exhibitors will cover the entire spectrum of the industry on 80,000 square meters and present numerous innovations and future technology. The focus this year is on alternative drives.
Most international NUFAM
With exhibitors from a total of 23 nations, the 2023 edition of NUFAM will be the most international since its premiere in 2009. Never before has Messe Karlsruhe been able to provide its exhibitors at NUFAM with such a large area of 80,000 square metres to present the entire spectrum of the commercial vehicle industry. The entire exhibition site with all halls and the outdoor area will be occupied. NUFAM 2023 is also on course for a record number of new products in the field of alternative drives.
Space for investment
All well-known manufacturers and dealer of the industry will be present. They show vehicles of all weight classes, superstructures and trailers, tyres, parts, accessories, workshop equipment, telematics solutions and services. NUFAM is characterized by being compact yet comprehensive, manageable and at the same time diverse. It brings decision-makers together, impresses with its short distances and thus offers the ideal framework conditions for making current and future investment decisions.
Jochen Bortfeld, Project Manager at NUFAM, adds: “We are very pleased with the range of more than 800 vehicles, from transporters to semi-trailers, and shows that NUFAM has further consolidated its position in the exhibitors’ calendar.”
Opening event
As part of the NUFAM opening on 21 September at 11 a.m., Elke Zimmer (State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport Baden-Württemberg), Prof. Martin Wietschel (Head of the Competence Center Energy Technologies and Energy Systems at Frauenhofer ISI), Rainer Schmitt (Managing Director Walter Schmitt GmbH), Jörg Hömburg (Managing Director Air Products), Mario Männlein (Head of Alternative Propulsions at IVECO Magirus) and Dr. Stephan Melchert (Manager Product and Marketing eTrailer ZF Group) will discuss the “Climate-neutral road transport – from overhead lines to fuel cells to charging infrastructure”.
State Secretary Elke Zimmer says: “The various drive technologies, such as the battery, the fuel cell (hydrogen) and the overhead line, as well as the pure refueling with synthetic fuels produced with renewable energies, must prove themselves in practice. Here, it will become clear which technology excels in terms of functionality, safety, robustness, cost-effectiveness and attractiveness. At the moment, battery-electric models are becoming the driving force not only in passenger cars but also in the field of truck traffic. also means that we now need to quickly create the framework conditions to create the right charging infrastructure for these vehicles.”
Federal and State Ministry of Transport with patronage
The importance of NUFAM is underscored by the patronage of the Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Affairs, Dr. Volker Wissing: “From alternative powertrains and renewable fuels to digitalization: The commercial vehicle industry is on the move and is working hard on innovative technologies for more progress and climate protection. NUFAM puts them in the spotlight, shows impressive approaches and solutions. That is why I was pleased to take over the patronage of NUFAM.”
Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport of the State of Baden-Württemberg, is also the patron of NUFAM 2023. Beate Frères, Head of the Own Exhibitions Business Unit at Messe Karlsruhe, says: “We are very pleased that two ministries – the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport and the Ministry of Transport Baden-Württemberg – evaluate NUFAM as an important platform for the mobility turnaround in the commercial vehicle industry and support it accordingly. The question of alternative drives and climate-neutral transport are the topics of the future. At NUFAM, we will create the ideal framework for this and give the industry the space it needs for its networking.”
Proven and newly created expert forum
NUFAM is a leading trade fair for the commercial vehicle industry and will continue to impress as a valuable information platform in 2023. The tried-and-tested Telematics Forum was supplemented by the areas of Digital Services. On Thursday and Friday, 18 speakers from business, law and science will present knowledge, research results and, above all, solutions for telematics and digital aid systems in ten-minute short presentations between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Forum will also discuss Artificial Intelligence and how it can help transport logistics.
Interested parties can visit a completely new forum on the Saturday of the fair. In the Charging Infrastructure Forum everything revolves around alternative drives of the future and how these can become reality. Nine short lectures will focus on battery-electric drives, hydrogen and e-fuels. The Forum provides guidance on what kind of alternative drives should be invested in. Both forums are moderated by journalist and industry expert Marcus Walter, who had already led the Media Day.
From Demo Park to Truck Driver Forum
NUFAM combines transport, forwarding and logistics under one roof. Those who make investment decisions are on the ground. Today, however, these decisions are also significantly influenced by those who operate commercial vehicles on a daily basis – professional drivers.
NUFAM also offers a comprehensive programme for these. On Sunday, 24 September, the Truck Driver Forum, moderated by commercial vehicle journalist Thomas Rosenberger, will discuss everything that concerns truck drivers. The focus is on road safety. Experts will discuss the causes and consequences of accidents and how they can be minimised and combated in three panels. These include rear-end collisions on motorways or collisions with cyclists when turning right in cities.
Cargo safety in focus
On Saturday, September 23rd, it will be about cargo security. The Königsberger Load Security Circle offers four lectures from 10.30 a.m. to 4.15 p.m. entitled “Wrong load distribution and its possible consequences”. Other topics of the Truck Driver Forum are “Living healthy on the road”, “Against dying at the end of a traffic jam”, “Wake up at 80 km/h” or “Getting under the wheels. Why there are only losers when turning right”.
In addition, truck drivers can practice in the Dekra truck simulator how to react in hot and dangerous situations in order to prevent worse. The NUFAM Demo Park also shows the full range of commercial vehicles, and the rescue chain shows how they work together in exceptional cases. The King or Queen of Travellers is determined as part of the NUFAM Challenge.
Offers for municipalities
Traditionally, manufacturers also show vehicles for the municipal sector at NUFAM. On the Thursday of the fair, two free guided tours will take place at the "Treffpunkt Kommunal" (Municipal Meeting Point) - from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm. Suppliers of municipal vehicles, bodies and attachments will present current solutions for municipalities under expert moderation. During the entire duration of the fair, the two Municipal Miles between the halls are the perfect contact point for all visitors with an interest in municipal vehicles.
