Vehicle Tech Week Europe 2026 took place this week at Messe Stuttgart in Germany, an event where key people, companies and technologies in the vehicle development sector came together to shape the next generation of vehicle testing, autonomy, interiors and future mobility.
The event, which took place from 23-25 June, combined three automotive technology exhibitions in one venue: Automotive Testing Expo Europe, Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo Europe, and Automotive Interiors Expo Europe.
The global automotive industry is currently tackling issues including cost pressures, evolving regulations, electrification, software complexity, safety demands, supply chain challenges and changing customer expectations.
UKi Media & Events, the organiser of Vehicle Tech Week Europe, aimed to create a focal point where representatives from OEMs, Tier 1s and other suppliers, as well as engineers, designers, software developers, validation specialists, policymakers, researchers, and technology leaders could meet to discuss new ways to tackle these issues, and source the latest technologies that can help progress.
A high-profile audience
Many senior figures from some of the biggest brands in automotive and mobility attended Vehicle Tech Week Europe. Brands represented included (in alphabetical order) Audi, Aston Martin, Autoliv, Bentley Motors, BMW Group, Bosch, Brembo, Bugatti Rimac, BYD, Cariad, Chery Europe, Continental, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Denso, Ferrari, Ford, Forvia, General Motors, Genesis Europe, Harman, Honda R&D Europe, Huawei Technologies, Hyundai Motor Group, Ineos Automotive, Iveco Group, and Jaguar Land Rover.
Other brands represented were Kia Slovakia, Lamborghini, Lear, Magna, Mahle, Marelli, Mazda Motor Europe, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Electric Automotive Europe, MOIA, Motherson Innovations, Neom, Nissan, Opel Automobile, Porsche, Recaro, Robert Bosch, Samsung, Schaeffler, Škoda Auto, Smart Europe, Stellantis, Suzuki Motor USA, Tesla, Toyota, Traton R&D, Valeo, VinFast, Volkswagen, Volvo Group, Waabi, Yanfeng, ZF, and Zoox.
Key audience figures from Vehicle Tech Week Europe
UKi Media & Events says that its data collected during the three-day event reflects an increase in engagement:
- Automotive Testing Expo Europe delivered a 143% year-on-year increase in VIP attendance, and Automotive Interiors Expo Europe delivered a 54% year-on-year increase in VIP attendance.
- Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo Europe maintained a strong senior/VIP audience, with VIP attendance up 16% on both day one and day two year on year, alongside its specialist conference audience of delegates, speakers, moderators, OEMs, regulators and technology innovators.
Speaking at the opening of the event, Julia Grab, Ford’s chief strategist & planner for European passenger vehicles said, “I’m delighted to be at Vehicle Tech Week Europe, bringing together ADAS, testing and interiors under one roof. In this age of uncertainty, it is even more critical that every new product development starts with the voice of the customer.
“Voice of the Customer is not a marketing artefact; it’s a core engineering requirement that should shape architecture, HMI and validation from day zero.”
Three shows, one platform
The future of mobility is no longer defined by one discipline alone. Testing, validation, autonomous systems, AI, software-defined vehicles, HMI, UX, interiors, safety, materials, regulation and customer experience are increasingly interconnected.
With three specialist events brought together at Messe Stuttgart, Vehicle Tech Week Europe enabled visitors to explore the full vehicle technology ecosystem.
Across the event, visitors had access to more than 75 hours of content, including free-to-attend show-floor sessions, technical showcases, forums, live zones, workshops, leadership roundtables, and the Autonomous Vehicle Technology Conference.
Automotive Testing Expo Europe
This show brought together the testing, development, validation and quality engineering community, showcasing technologies across ADAS and autonomous vehicle testing, simulation, HIL, digital twins, EV and battery testing, NVH, durability, crash and safety testing, emissions, test and measurement, data acquisition, environmental testing, connectivity, electronics, and EMC.
Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo Europe
This event provided a forum for the technologies and conversations shaping the path to safe autonomous deployment, including sensors, perception, AI, software-defined vehicle architecture, simulation, virtual validation, safety systems, data, regulation, and public trust.
Automotive Interiors Expo Europe
This show focused on the future of the vehicle cabin, connecting designers, engineers, material specialists, suppliers and OEM teams working across comfort, safety, user experience, sustainability, lighting, seating, HMI, UX, surfaces, acoustics, climate systems, personalisation, and future cabin architecture.
Another visitor to the shows was Guido Di Pasquale, managing director of PAVE Europe, an organisation working to educate the public and policy makers in Europe about fully automated vehicle technology and its potential societal benefits.
He said of the event: “I came to Vehicle Tech Week to engage directly with the ecosystem shaping the future of mobility, from industry leaders to innovators in automated driving. Events like this are essential for PAVE Europe and me, not only for understanding the latest technological developments, but also for advancing our mission to build public awareness and trust in autonomous vehicles across Europe through collaboration and dialogue.
“In-person exhibitions create a level of connection and exchange that simply cannot be replicated online. You can experience the technology first-hand, have spontaneous and meaningful conversations, and build trust more effectively. For a field like autonomous mobility, where public confidence is key, these face-to-face interactions are invaluable for aligning stakeholders and moving the industry forward together.”
New developments for the 2027 event
Vehicle Tech Week Europe is evolving, and the 2027 event will bring updates to two of the three existing shows and the addition of a fourth show.
Automotive Interiors Expo will be renamed to Automotive Design & In-Cabin Expo. Today’s interior decisions can no longer be separated from exterior form, vehicle architecture software platforms, or system integration. Design teams are no longer solving isolated problems, they are orchestrating connected, end-to-end experiences.
The rebranding to Automotive Design & In-Cabin Expo is intended to reflect and support this shift from complexity to coherence, from individual components to fully integrated design systems.
Autonomous Vehicle Tech Expo will be renamed to Intelligent Vehicle Expo. This name change reflects a broader shift underway across the automotive industry to software-defined vehicles. Vehicle performance and competitiveness are not defined by isolated autonomous functions, but rather by how intelligence is designed, integrated and sustained across the entire vehicle ecosystem.
New for 2027 is the addition of the Advanced Chassis & Powertrain Showcase. This new event at Vehicle Tech Week Europe is designed to reflect the increasingly integrated nature of modern vehicle engineering. As propulsion strategies diversify and platform architectures become more complex, the development of powertrain, chassis, and vehicle dynamics systems can no longer be considered in isolation.
Industry awards
The Automotive Testing Technology International Awards 2026 were presented at Messe Stuttgart alongside the Autonomous Vehicle Tech Awards, in recognition of the companies, technologies and people that help advance vehicle testing, validation and future mobility.
Humanetics won the Testing Hardware Innovation of the Year prize with the THOR-5F female frontal impact dummy, Tracetronic won the Testing Software Innovation of the Year award for its One:cx platform that enables data-driven development workflows, and WeRide won Simulation Innovation of the Year for its Genesis simulation platform that bridges generative AI and physical AI to accelerate the training and validation of AVs.
Drive System Design won Facility of the Year for its advanced engineering and testing facilities in the UK that enable customers around the world to accelerate the development, validation and optimisation of next-generation propulsion technologies, and Diversified Technical Systems won Supplier of the Year in recognition of its commitment to developing innovative technologies that push the boundaries of crash testing.
The Vehicle Tech Week Trailblazer Awards were launched at this year’s event, as a means to celebrate professionals that are reshaping the future of mobility, autonomy and vehicle interiors across Europe.
The value of face-to-face events
UKi Media & Events says Vehicle Tech Week Europe 2026 showed that, even in a cautious market, exhibitions remain essential events to attend. When the industry is under pressure, the value of trusted meeting places increases.
In-person events enable engineering teams to see technology first-hand, buyers to compare suppliers’ products in one venue, OEMs to discover new partners, and industry leaders to hold the conversations that are difficult to replicate through digital channels alone.
“Vehicle Tech Week Europe has been designed around a simple reality: vehicle development no longer happens in silos. Testing, autonomy, interiors, software, electronics and user experience are now deeply connected, and the industry needs a place where those communities can come together, compare ideas and make progress,” said Jason Sullivan, group portfolio director for Vehicle Tech Week Europe.
Vehicle Tech Week Europe will return to Messe Stuttgart on 2-3 June 2027.
