The 16th edition of the tradeshow SOLUTRANS, to take place from 16 to 20 November 2021 at Lyon Eurexpo, is shaping up to be a platform for business recovery, coming as the only international event in 2021 dealing in innovation and information for the truck sector.
As the international trade show for road and urban transport solutions, SOLUTRANS mirrors the upturn in the fortunes of the industry and all indicators point to it being a successful edition, with 60,000 professionals and 1,000 exhibitors and brands expected to attend.
With 90% of its surface area already booked to date and an additional hall compared with the last session, the show is more attractive than ever to all the industry’s stakeholders, and offers an even broader range and more extensive content, focusing on responsible transport.
SOLUTRANS 2021: an edition held under the banner of economic recovery
SOLUTRANS 2019, the most successful edition in the show’s history, recorded 56,000 visits, corresponding to an increase of nearly 11% on 2017. Nine hundred exhibitors and brands were represented at this 2019 show, up 47% on the 2017 event, and this figure included 31% of new exhibitors.
For the 2021 event, 90% of the surface area is already booked, which indicates that industry professionals are likely to mobilise in their masses at the show.
To date, the exhibition has registered the participation of many leading names from the HGV sector: HGV manufacturers, French and European trailer and semitrailer factures, bodywork and vehicle equipment manufacturers, without forgetting LCV bodybuilders, tyre professionals and services to companies (IT, consulting and business solutions).
The lights are green for the sector
Following a year of mixed fortunes due to the Covid crisis, 2021 offers more healthy economic prospects. The BIPE forecasts 4.2% growth in 2021 and 3.6% growth in 2022.
This recovery ties in with the transition to a low carbon economy and new obligations to reduce carbon emissions which is to be achieved through the energy mix, with an increase in the registrations of vehicles that do not run on diesel.
Furthermore, many transport companies have displayed their intention to upgrade and replace parts of their vehicle fleets.
A resolutely international business exhibition
With 25% of its exhibitors registered to date coming from outside France, the show has also confirmed its international reach. 15 countries are represented, headed by Germany, Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Moreover, in 2021, SOLUTRANS is also offering, as a complement to the physical exhibition, a digital edition, SOLUTRANS DIGITAL SHOW. As a mirror of the physical exhibition, the online version will offer visitors the opportunity, whenever they wish and wherever they may be, to dive into an interactive space in which they will be able to visit the exhibitors’ stands, enter into contact with them and discover their new products in the space of a click.
SOLUTRANS DIGITAL SHOW will thus guarantee exhibitors increased visibility and a visitor audience which could potentially extend to the whole world.
SOLUTRANS 2021: an edition connecting with the sector’s challenges
The common theme of the 2021 show is the energy transition, which will be adressed in a series of highlights:
The presentation of the VIsion’Air study. Conducted by Le BiPE and BDO Advisory, long-standing partners of the FFC, this global study will, for the first time in Europe, draw up an analysis of the powertrain mix according to several angles (by country, by segment, by year, by main vehicle category), and their carbon contribution. It will therefore offer professionals in the sector an advance snapshot of markets in 2040, enabling them to align with the targets of the European Commission.- A content-rich and comprehensive talks programme (appendix 1) with an opening plenary on the theme: “Hydrogen: what does the future hold for the HGV sector?” Organised in association with France Hydrogène.
The talks and round tables will focus on connectivity, electrification, employment, CSR and cyber security. 
The “SOLUTRANS ON AIR”, podcasts, a series of videos, recorded monthly, on a topical theme. SOLUTRANS ON AIR will delve into the developments and breakthroughs happening in a range of topical issues in the HGV sector.- The SOLUTRANS Breakfasts, three exclusive events in the form of debates, posted on the SOLUTRANS and FFC social media feeds on the subjects of: Transport federations and the energy transition; New energies; Urban logistics.
SOLUTRANS 2021: a redesigned organisation
To maintain its momentum, SOLUTRANS 2021 has revamped its organisation to help exhibitors stand out and offer its visiting professionals a smooth and enjoyable visit.
SOLUTRANS 2021 will open a new exhibition hall to cater to growing demand for innovation from exhibitors and visitors.
Hall 1, renamed SOLUTRANS 4.0, will present disruptive innovations and the new names in the sector in all areas: engineering, industry and training. This space will be an expression of the transformation of the industry: start-ups, digital solutions, and new powertrains will all have their space in this new hall. It will include the Original Equipment Manufacturers Village organised by FIEV (Federation of Vehicle Equipment Industries).
A new and extended test track, making vehicle testing a priority for SOLUTRANS. This demonstration zone has been entirely redesigned in response to demand from HGV and LCV manufacturers. They will be able to present, in real-life conditions, an increasing number of “new energy” vehicles (gas, hybrid, electric, fuel cell, etc.) to professionals in ever greater numbers who wish to “see and test” their vehicles.- A dedicated Tyre area, organised in partnership with the French Association of Tyre Professionals (SPP), and which will bring together all the sector’s players in a single venue with its own lecture theatre and a specific outdoor test drive area.
- An improved employment and training area aiming to welcome, inform and advise visitors.
At the heart of the show’s concerns, the Employment section will assist employers and candidates in their searches through the organisation of Job Dates, the presentation of the job seeking platform #Mobili’Job, etc. in partnership with the Road Safety authority, technical colleges, apprenticeship colleges and other training institutes, the Training section will aim to show young people and their families everything to do with the bodywork sector, its products, job disciplines and the qualifications that will lead to a career in the sector, direct them towards the appropriate vocational path and qualifications, maintain and improve skills, and support transformations underway (digital, energy, etc.).
SOLUTRANS innovation
As a platform for innovation, SOLUTRANS is once again conducting a range of initiatives and will be showcasing them at its next edition:
The I-nnovations AWARDS, organised by FFC, paying tribute to outstanding innovations and improving the performances of a body-built vehicle. The awards will be presented at an evening function in a legendary venue, the Lyon Groupama Stadium. A new “Digital Award” will acknowledge the success of a company working in computer technology or connectivity applied to the sector.- The winners of the well-known international awards “International Truck of the Year”, “International Van of The Year”, and “International Pick up Award” will be revealed at the prestigious Gala evening.
- The presentation of the 2020 and 2021 Industry Personality of the Year Awards which pay tribute to an institutional figure for their actions and their commitment to the industry.
Appendix 1
Talks programme
Plenary – Tuesday 16 November 2021
7th Industry Meeting – the energy transition: we are all involved!
Wednesday 17 November 2021
- 09:30 – 11:00: Opening lecture – Hydrogen: what does the future hold for the HGV sector?
- 11:00 – 12:00: A century of HGV innovation
- 14:30 – 15:30: Alternative solutions: how to achieve CO2 objectives
- 15:30 – 16:30: Artificial intelligence (AI) applied to heavy goods vehicles (part 1)
Thursday 18 November 2021
- 09:30 – 10:30: A new form of consumption and transportation
- 10:30 – 12:30: URF lecture: Decarbonisation of long-distance goods haulage: what role for electric roads?
- 14:30 – 15:30: Urban mobility: how do commercial vehicles fit in?
- 15:30 – 16:30: Artificial intelligence (AI) applied to heavy goods vehicles (part 2)
Friday 19 November 2021
- 09:30 – 10:30: HGV maintenance: a complete revolution
- 11:30 – 12:30: HGV recycling: an economic and environmental reality
- 15:30 – 16:30: Artificial intelligence (AI) applied to heavy goods vehicles (part 3)
Saturday 20 November 2021
- 10:30 – 12:00: HGV drivers, how are you doing?
About SOLUTRANS
SOLUTRANS: THE GLOBAL HUB FOR HEAVY & LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
SOLUTRANS, bringing together market players from across the heavy and light commercial vehicle industry, will hold its 16th edition from 16 to 20 November 2021 at Lyon Eurexpo, France. The event, certified by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) and held over 90,000 sqm, will draw nearly 60,000 professionals along with 1,000 exhibitors and brands from all over the world. The new promise of the 2021 show is “Sustainable and Connected Solutions for a Responsible Transport Sector”.
SOLUTRANS is the two-yearly rendezvous of one of the most innovative industrial sectors. The worldwide economic environment makes SOLUTRANS 2021 a showcase for the exceptional performances of HGV builders, bodywork manufacturers, vehicle fitters, OEMs, manufacturers of workshop equipment, tyre professionals and distribution networks. The exhibition will occupy a new hall christened SOLUTRANS 4.0, notably dedicated to disruptive innovation in the commercial vehicle sector, with a view to offering insight to professionals, manufacturers, body builders, equipment manufacturers, maintenance firms… as far as hauliers and shippers. The ambition of SOLUTRANS: accompany the industrial sector and promote solutions to the challenges that lie ahead.
