International Vienna Motor Symposium

The International Vienna Motor Symposium

takes place annually and is one of the worldwide leading events of this kind.
Every year, over 1,000 decision-makers from the most important companies in the global automotive industry gather at the Vienna Motor Symposium. The three-day programme at the Hofburg Conference Centre Vienna offers a variety of groundbreaking lectures and allows sufficient time for exchanging opinions and networking.
This top-level lecture programme is accompanied by an exhibition at which leading automotive and component companies present latest technologies and developments.

The 46^th International Vienna Motor Symposium will take place from 14 to 16 May 2025.

Registration for the International Vienna Motor Symposium 2025

Registration is open!
The main topics of the symposium 2025 are once again sustainable energy and solutions for mobility: The entire technology portfolio of electric powertrains, new batteries, fuel cell and combustion engines for hydrogen, hydrogen storage and modern hybrid drives for efficient and high-performance vehicles is covered in the lectures. The production of climate-neutral fuels, their evaluation in a system analysis and their application are also discussed in detail. Finally, one session is dedicated to the software defined vehicle.

More than 80 high-ranking experts from the world of science and the automobile industry and its suppliers are expected at the event in the Vienna Hofburg palace from 14 to 16 May 2025, where they will present a wide range of technological and strategic innovations in powertrain systems to the more than 1,000 expected participants from over
25 countries.
The complete programme of the 46^th International Vienna Motor Symposium (Technical Programme and Social Programme) can be found here.

Registration Form >>>

Exhibition at the International Vienna Motor Symposium 2025

Our goal as the organizer of this leading event is to create a platform for the latest technical developments and to provide sufficient time for exchange with industry decision-makers.
The exhibition space for the upcoming symposium, which takes place in the Hofburg Vienna from 14–16 May 2025, is thanks to the successful combination of an excellent lecture programme and the exhibition almost fully booked.
If you would also like to participate as an exhibitor when over 1,000 decision-makers from the global automotive industry meet we look forward to hearing from you!

Moving away from the ‘exhaust pipe perspective’: a fundamental shift in our approach to sustainable mobility is urgently needed.

Bernhard Geringer, Chairman of the Board of the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers (ÖVK) and organizer of the symposium, offered a foretaste of the content highlights of the upcoming engine symposium during a press conference with Frederik Zohm from MAN Truck & Bus SE and Ingo Scholten from Horse Powertrain.
Current legislation which focuses on the CO₂ emissions of a vehicle, without taking into account the generation of energy and raw materials, is wrong, does not help the environment and must be changed as quickly as possible. Meaningful climate protection will only be achieved with a systematic ‘cradle-to-grave’ approach. We have to move away from the ‘exhaust pipe perspective’!
There is no such thing as a ‘green’ engine, but there is green energy. It is imperative to push ahead with a focus on green energy sources if we are to enable truly carbon-neutral mobility worldwide.’

There is no one single path towards sustainable mobility but many routes which need to be pursued simultaneously. At this year’s summit, manufacturers of new drive concepts from Asia and investors from the Arab world are increasingly coming into focus. A joint venture between the Chinese manufacturer Geely with the European Renault Group and Saudi Aramco, for example, which was founded only a year ago, promises to revolutionize one of the traditional pillars of automotive engineering.

Ingo Scholten, Chief Technology Officer at Horse Powertrain, described the event as ‘pioneering work in a new industrial sector’. A key figure in shaping the up-and-coming powertrain technology sector, he presented a forward-looking vision: ‘The powertrain is no longer just a vehicle component – it has evolved into a complete technology sector that drives the future of mobility.

Drives for commercial vehicles, from electric solutions for local distribution transport and urban buses through to large combustion engines for long-distance transport, some of which are powered by hydrogen, will be prominent agenda items at this year’s international meeting of experts. Dr Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research & Development at MAN Truck & Bus, said: ‘In order to decarbonise road freight transport, our focus is on battery-electric vehicles. These currently have clear advantages over other drive concepts in terms of energy efficiency and operating and energy costs. We therefore expect electric trucks to be best suited to the vast majority of transport applications

The video recording of the press conference is available here, opens new window, a full press relase is available for download.

Driving the Future: Global Mobility Experts Converge at Vienna’s 46th Motor Symposium

Whether cars, commercial vehicles, ships or aircraft, the global mobility industry is currently changing faster than ever. On the one hand, traditional manufacturers are facing major challenges with new technologies, while on the other, young companies are bringing a breath of fresh air to drive systems, fuels and global cooperation. Experts from all over the world will present the latest developments and technology trends for motor vehicles, aviation, aerospace and shipping at the International Motor Symposium from 14 to 16 May 2025 at the Hofburg Conference Centre in Vienna.
“Is there more than one solution on the road to Net Zero?” – This question will be addressed at the opening of the symposium by Matias Giannini, CEO of Horse Powertrain (London), a new manufacturer of compact drive units. He heads a joint venture founded by Geely (China), Renault (France) and Aramco (Saudi Arabia) with the aim of supplying powertrains consisting of combustion engines and compact hybrid drive systems in modular design, for a wide range of vehicles and manufacturers.

Also speaking at plenary sessions will be: Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of fuel injection systems manufacturer PHINIA (USA), Todd Anderson; VW Board Member Kai Grünitz; Holger Klein, CEO of ZF Group (Friedrichshafen); Bosch Managing Director Markus Heyn; Torsten Eder, Vice President Electrified Drive Systems Mercedes Benz (Stuttgart) and MAN Trucks & Bus Board Member for Research and Development, Frederik Zohm (Munich).
We are delighted to welcome experts and decision-makers with a wealth of knowledge and experience from both OEMs and the supplier industry to Vienna!

Car manufacturers around the world are currently moving away from developing their own engines and powertrains. Ready-made, compact drive units from companies such as Horse Powertrain are therefore becoming increasingly important.

Commercial vehicles: The race is not yet decided

Drive systems for lorries and buses, ranging from electric solutions for local distribution transport and urban buses, to large combustion engines for long-distance transport will be given significant space in the programme. For example, the US engine manufacturer Cummins will be presenting a 6.7-litre hydrogen engine with direct injection, while Volvo will be presenting the concept of a 17-litre hydrogen combustion engine with low-pressure direct injection for heavy commercial vehicles. MAN will be presenting a V12 engine with a displacement of 30 litres, which is intended to achieve the balancing act between sustainability, economy and customer benefits . The mega-engine is likely to be used more in the railway and marine sectors rather than for commercial vehicles.

A “robust fuel cell vehicle for the mining and construction site environment” as well as various options for using liquid hydrogen as a storage option for rail vehicles will also be presented during the three-day conference.

Innovations in powersport drives

This year’s conference will be the most wide-ranging yet. The conference will not only look at large-volume drive systems for ocean-going vessels, construction and rail vehicles.
Lightweight, fast and yet environmentally-friendly engines for powersports equipment such as skidoos or jet skis or side-by-side off road vehicles are also on the agenda. The Austrian-Canadian company BRP-Rotax will provide insights into its new electric and hybrid drive concepts.

Powerhouses also at Lamborghini and Porsche

A panel will be dedicated to sustainable fuels, for example, self-igniting piston aircraft engines, and new concepts in the sports car sector will be presented. Among other high-profile manufacturers, Lamborghini will show its high-revving biturbo V8 hybrid engine and Porsche its hybridisation of the 911 and a new six-cylinder boxer engine.

Conference Papers 2025

The 46^th International Vienna Motor Symposium will take place from 14-16 May 2025. The conference papers for this event can be pre-ordered from the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers since end of January 2025 and will be dispatched after the symposium.
All lectures are presented on approx. 1600 pages in 3 volumes including additional booklets.
The lecture documents can be ordered as a print version or as a USB flash drive. Both versions contain a download link with the complete lectures.