Recap & Highlights

This was day 1 of polisMOBILITY 2024

How can we design mobility to create the human-scale, sustainable city of tomorrow? Answers to this question can be found from today at polisMOBILITY expo & conference 2024 in Cologne - the leading dialogue platform for the transport transition! Until Thursday, around 150 exhibitors and partners as well as more than around 200 speakers will be presenting and discussing new products, concepts and solutions for the mobility of the future.

Day 1 of polisMOBILITY was devoted to the key topics of the transition in drive systems and energy in urban areas and the municipal mobility transition. After the official opening by Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse, and Prof. Dr. Johannes Busmann, author and journalist Friedemann Karig set the scene for the coming days with his keynote speech ‘Talking about transformation’. In her keynote speech, Vanessa Cann, AI entrepreneur and board member of the German AI Association, then showed how generative AI is changing our lives and work.

In the afternoon, NRW Minister of Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur visited polisMOBILITY and took part in a panel discussion organised by Handwerk.NRW and Handwerkskammer zu Köln on the topic of ‘Trade sector and industry as an enabler for the drive and energy transition'. In addition, many other discussion rounds ensured a lively exchange, including on the future roles and business models of OEMs and municipal strategies for action.

Here you can find the programme for the second fair day:

Programme for Wednesday, 23.05.2024

Voices to the fair 2024

Dr Volker Wissing, German Federal Minister for Digital and Transport

“Innovative mobility concepts are vital for the future of our cities. Digitalisation in particular is opening up many opportunities for us here. More and better mobility data is the key. It is fundamental to the provision of attractive, multimodal transport solutions and real-time traffic information services. The German federal government is already working on a mobility data law. The digital ‘Deutschlandticket’ will also help to advance the digitalisation of the local public transport system. Giving people the ability to switch conveniently and easily from their cars or bikes to local public transport or trains won’t just make travelling easier, it will also reduce CO2 emissions. Having a space for open dialogue between political decision makers, municipal stakeholders and solution providers is essential. That is why I am proud to give my support as a patron to polisMOBILITY, a platform that goes beyond exchanging ideas to bring innovative mobility solutions to life.”

Helmut Dedy, Executive Director of the Association of German Cities (DST)

“The transport transition is more than just a challenge for our cities; it’s a necessary transformation. By acting as patrons to polisMOBILITY, we are supporting the dialogue on the mobility of the future with a view to shaping our urban spaces on a sustainable basis.”

© Laurence Chapon

Dr André Berghegger, Managing Director of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB)

“What is possible in transport policy is heavily dependent on local circumstances. That’s why we need a wide range of tools to really be able to shape the transport transition at a local level. polisMOBILITY is an ideal platform for discussing ideas and strengthening partnerships that will drive the transformation towards inclusive and sustainable cities and communities.”

© DBT/Thomas Trutschel

Christine Fuchs, Board Member of the Working Group of Pedestrian- and Bicycle-Friendly Cities, Municipalities and Districts in North Rhine-Westphalia (AGFS NRW)

“Once again in 2024, polisMOBILITY has shown that a central platform like this is absolutely beneficial for the mobility transition. The personal exchange with old acquaintances and new faces provides many important impulses for our work. For AGFS NRW, polisMOBILITY is an important partner in shaping the transport transition.“

Women in Mobility

“polisMOBILITY provides a platform for rethinking urban mobility and gleaning inspiration from existing solutions. We see it as an opportunity for planners to adopt good approaches and to take the needs of all user groups into account right from the planning stage. It takes a diversity of views to ensure accessibility and safety and to cater for different trip chains. That’s why it’s essential that women are represented in all the areas in which mobility is being redesigned.”

Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer (CDO) at DACHSER

“We’re facing the huge task of actively shaping the transition to more sustainable logistics. The complexity and diversity of the challenges call for new forms of collaboration. polisMOBILITY is a great opportunity for us to present and discuss our solutions and to start conversations with partners.”

German Federal Association for eMobility (BEM) – Board Members Christian Heep and Markus Emmert

“For us, polisMOBILITY in Cologne was once again an outstanding platform for presenting and finding out about innovative mobility solutions and how they contribute to the green economy. We’re proud to be an active partner of the event and to be playing our part in shaping the transition to a new sustainable mobility.”