The automotive industry’s next major innovation will probably come from outside. Not necessarily from an OEM or a traditional supplier. Disruptive ideas often emerge where people rethink existing solutions – in start-ups, research institutions or entirely different industries.

Innovations do not necessarily have to be complex. Often, the greatest advances come from a change of perspective. Virtual simulations from the gaming world now shorten development times in vehicle development. Interaction concepts familiar to millions of people from their smartphones now shape the user experience of modern vehicles. Innovation often begins where ideas cross industry boundaries.

Turning Ideas into Innovation

A good idea alone does not change a market. Genuine progress emerges only when that idea can be developed, industrialised and brought into series production worldwide. This is where two worlds meet: start-ups bring speed, new technologies and the courage to challenge established ways of thinking. Suppliers possess development, manufacturing and series-production expertise. Together, they achieve what neither can accomplish alone.

Alexander Jordan, Member of the German Bundestag and an expert on automotive and transport policy, sees this as a decisive competitive factor: “Germany needs to become faster at bringing innovations together. Especially in the automotive industry, new solutions emerge where manufacturers, suppliers, start-ups and research work closely together. This is also a question of industrial strength: every job at an OEM secures numerous additional jobs along the value chain. If we want to retain value creation, employment and competitiveness in Germany, we must make cooperation easier and bring innovations into application faster.”

Ideas Need Visibility

Those who keep their idea secret for too long often find the right partners too late. In Germany in particular, innovations are often presented only when they are close to series-production readiness. Yet the greatest added value often emerges much earlier – through exchange with companies, research institutions or potential development partners. Feedback improves products, opens up new fields of application and accelerates the path to market.

This is precisely what the cross-industry approach in Wolfsburg stands for. Innovation emerges where different industries, technologies and capabilities come together. The International Suppliers Fair (IZB) takes up this idea and, with its Connecting Area, deliberately creates space for exchange between start-ups, suppliers, research institutions and industry. Contacts are formed here that can grow into development projects, collaborations and market-ready innovations.

The next major innovation may not emerge directly at IZB. But many ideas find the partners there that enable them to grow.

Road to IZB 2026

With its editorial series “Road to IZB 2026” on OEM&Lieferant, Wolfsburg AG, the organiser of IZB, tracks the key developments in the international automotive and supplier industry in the run-up to the next International Suppliers Fair in Wolfsburg.

At IZB from 27 to 29 October 2026, these topics will not only be discussed but taken forward in collaboration with leading players from across the international automotive industry. Once again, Wolfsburg will become a meeting point for manufacturers, suppliers, technology companies, start-ups and research institutions – and a place where new ideas, partnerships and solutions for tomorrow’s mobility take shape.

The focus is on future technologies, market trends, and the people, companies and innovations shaping the industry’s transformation.

For more information about IZB 2026 and opportunities to participate, visit: www.izb-online.com