Six months before the opening and while exhibitor registrations continue to grow, NME–Next Mobility Exhibition, the Fiera Milano event dedicated to solutions, technologies, vehicles and policies for sustainable collective mobility, confirms its role as a platform for dialogue, updates and forward-looking insights for the sector.
During the four days – from 13 to 16 May 2026 – a high-profile programme curated by a Technical Scientific Committeecomposed of associations, universities and research centres and chaired by Pierluigi Coppola, Professor at Politecnico di Milano, will offer key opportunities for discussion, showcasing best-in-class case studies and market analyses.
The programme will address the major challenges facing the sector – energy and digital transition, innovation, professional training and youth employment – within a European framework that is essential to identifying innovative and concrete solutions applicable in each country.
LOOKING AHEAD: NEW MOBILITY MODELS AND NEW PROFESSIONAL PROFILES
In a rapidly changing environment, where alternative development models for collective mobility are emerging across Europe, NME will bring together leading Italian and European players, offering opportunities to analyse best practices and evaluate the cost-benefit ratio of ongoing or upcoming projects, with the aim of identifying effective strategies for the medium and long term.
NME 2026 will also serve as an observatory on innovation and new forms of mobility.
The panel The Sharing City will explore the role of sharing models in enabling sustainable urban mobility, presenting Milan as a living laboratory for experimentation. By connecting start-ups, investors and institutions, the initiative will highlight concrete applications and contribute to a broader narrative on how shared services, data management and public policies can redesign urban spaces and behaviours.
Drive the Future is the initiative developed with Think Smart Mobility, the Think Tank of MIND Milan dedicated to infrastructures, data, transport, vehicles and logistics. The day will focus on professions in the transport and logistics sectors, with the aim of guiding young people towards career paths that are increasingly in demand – Italy alone lacks more than 10,000 bus drivers – and reshaped by innovation and growing digitalisation. The programme will allow students to discover key professions – drivers, train operators and specialised technicians – through testimonials, driving simulators, technology workshops and career guidance areas. By involving schools, training centres, transport operators and ITS academies, the initiative will foster direct connections between education and employment, promoting the skills essential for the mobility of the future.
INNOVATION: BETWEEN DIGITALISATION AND NEW ENERGY SOURCES
Technology plays a pivotal role in enabling truly sustainable collective mobility. For this reason, NME will highlight the opportunities offered by the digital transition and alternative energy sources, both essential drivers of change.
AI – the focus of a conference curated by Club Italia and ANAV – is becoming a decisive lever for transforming public mobility: it analyses data, optimises routes, forecasts demand and manages fleets intelligently, making transport more flexible, safer and more sustainable. In Italy, the Mobility as a Service for Italy programme, part of the NRRP, is moving in this direction, aiming to revolutionise the transport system through advanced digital solutions and an innovation-oriented vision.
On the front of alternative energy sources, H2IT will host a focus on hydrogen, a key resource for the decarbonisation of public transport thanks to its long range and fast refuelling times. Its widespread adoption requires targeted investments not only in vehicle procurement but also in refuelling infrastructure and regulatory simplification
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ANAV will present a study on biofuels, analysing their role in the decarbonisation strategy for bus transport, their potential to reduce CO₂ emissions and their compatibility with existing fleets and infrastructure. The discussion will explore how biofuels could accelerate the energy transition within a framework of technological neutrality and complementarity with electric and hydrogen solutions.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: A STRATEGIC DRIVER IN THE CURRENT TRANSFORMATION
Public transport remains a key asset for achieving sustainability goals in collective mobility services.
Politecnico di Milano will present a study by Professor Pierluigi Coppola on the future of Italian local public transport in the post-NRRP era, analysing the landscape after an unprecedented investment phase (over €3.6 billion for metros, trolleybuses and tramlines, and €1.9 billion for green buses). The study will highlight priorities for reforming the National Transport Fund and ensuring the sector’s economic sustainability, proposing a model based on technological neutrality and integration of energy solutions.
AGENS will offer an in-depth look at the economic and social value of public transport and its contribution to territorial cohesion, while also addressing issues related to gender equality and inclusion, with testimonials and initiatives dedicated to supporting female participation in the sector.
ANAV will provide an overview of Long-Distance Bus Services, presenting a study on national routes and bus stations. In recent years, this market segment has experienced significant growth, with rising demand particularly for airport connections and medium-short routes. However, challenges remain, including the lack of official data, complex authorisation procedures and insufficient intermodal hubs.
The next edition of Next Mobility Exhibition will take place from 13 to 16 May 2026 at Fiera Milano, concurrently with Transpotec Logitec, Italy’s leading event for road transport and logistics. Together, the two exhibitions will offer a comprehensive overview of innovations and future perspectives in passenger and freight transport, fostering a strategic dialogue between two sectors that share common goals: decarbonisation, digitalisation and safety.
For more information: https://www.nextmobilityexhibition.com