Automechanika Frankfurt receives thumbs up

Official figures from 2016 Automechanika Frankfurt show that the trade show attracted 136,000 visitors from over 170 countries with access to 4,820 exhibitors.

The central theme at one of the world’s largest showcase for the independent aftermarket in 2016 was ‘Tomorrow’s Service & Mobility’. A record 4,820 exhibitors from 76 countries took part, including leading players from industry, workshops and retail, demonstrating the ways in which the industry is changing as connected cars come to the fore.

Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, said, ‘With these impressive figures, Automechanika is continuing to build on its position as the world’s leading platform for the automotive aftermarket. In addition to countless impressive smart vehicles that are already connected, the struggle for data was one of the hottest topics of discussion at the trade fair.’

As a result, Messe Frankfurt launched a new format, ‘Connected Mobility’, an international road show that began on 15 September and which will soon be making stops in Shanghai and in Austin, Texas. One of the keynote speakers was Jeep hacker Chris Valasek, who is now the security lead at the Uber Advanced Technology Center. In his presentation, he addressed the tremendous importance of software security in connected cars.

Dr Uwe Thomas, president of the automotive aftermarket division at Bosch GmbH, offered his take on the Repair & Maintenance sector, said, ‘The aftermarket and workshops are on the brink of a new era – for workshops, connected mobility is the wave of the future. As a result, the themes of networking, digitalisation and augmented reality were in particular demand at our stand this year. Automechanika is our platform of choice for showcasing the latest trends and technologies, as well as for demonstrating how Bosch can make workshop operations more efficient for the future.’

Automechanika Frankfurt will return for the 25th time from 11-15 September 2018, and REIFEN, licensed from Messe Essen, will for the first time be held alongside it, in Hall 12.