On this page, we review the highlights of the event together in the form of a post-event report and provide further media and information about the event. Have fun browsing!

Ü:MO 2025 - Shaping the future together at the ARENA2036 research campus

Under the motto "About the future of tomorrow.", over 370 participants from industry, science and politics came together at ARENA2036 on June 26, 2025 to discuss the latest developments in mobility, production and digital transformation. With a varied supporting program of keynotes, deep dives, project fair and networking, this year's Ü:MO event was the central annual event in the ARENA2036 ecosystem.

Project fair at the heart of the event

At the heart of the event was an extensive project fair with around 50 exhibiting projects that offered insights into research projects and application-oriented technologies. Visitors were able to network directly with the people behind the projects while they presented their topics. The open atmosphere facilitated genuine encounters and made the special ARENA2036 spirit tangible: Innovation is not created here in a quiet chamber, but in a lively exchange - through collaboration and joint design. At the ARENA2036 stand, exhibited hands-on activities offered the opportunity to get to know concrete starting points for cooperation in the ARENA2036 ecosystem. Visitors were able to find out directly how they can get actively involved, dock onto projects or realize new ideas together with others.

"Trust, reliability and shaping things together are the foundations of ARENA2036. As part of Ü:MO, we want to look to the future - to where major challenges await us, but also enormous opportunities. We want to tackle these together and drive them forward. We show that innovation through cooperation is not just an empty shell, but a living reality. That we are not standing still in Germany, but are thinking ahead and, in particular, in ARENA2036, also thinking anew." Says Peter Froeschle, Managing Director of ARENA2036.

Impulses from business, research and politics

The program was accompanied by top-class keynotes that highlighted current challenges and future prospects. Prof. Dr. Peter Middendorf, Rector of the University of Stuttgart, kicked things off. In his speech, he bridged the gap between science and application and emphasized the importance of networked research and innovation ecosystems. Today, more than ever, they are the key to efficiently transferring knowledge into socially and economically relevant solutions. Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director General of the EU Commission, followed on from this with a strategic European perspective. In her speech, she emphasized how important technological sovereignty is as the basis for Europe's digital competitiveness - not only at a political level, but also as a prerequisite for sustainable innovation structures throughout Europe. With a view to the dynamics of transformation processes, Prof. Dr. Henning Kagermann, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of acatech e.V., then underlined the role of cooperative innovation platforms. They not only offer orientation in complex situations of upheaval, but also enable speed and depth in change - by bringing together players from different areas in a targeted manner. Severine Siebert, Vice President at Nokia Corporation, showed what this cooperation can look like in practice. She used specific use cases to illustrate how collaboration in ARENA2036 is already enabling measurable progress - for example in the areas of 6G, artificial intelligence and industrial metaverse. The keynote series was concluded by Dr. Stephen Travers from Mercedes-Benz AG. With a practical insight into the digital transformation of production, he showed how data-based processes, agile development methods and intelligent systems are revolutionizing industrial value creation - and how this is creating new innovation spaces directly on the store floor. He supportedt this with reference projects that have emerged from ARENA2036.

Diving deeper: Technological deep dives

Several in-depth sessions - the so-called deep dives - subsequently enabled an intensive exchange of ideas with the visitors. Participants discussed key future topics such as data spaces, Asset Administration Shell, quantum technologies, automated wire harness production, circular economy, fully digital product development and applications in the industrial metaverse. Invited experts in these fields also provided exciting input in the form of presentations. The sessions enabled a focused exchange at specialist level and showed how diverse and practical the research at ARENA2036 is.

Conclusion with a view

At the end of the day, the summer get-together in the evening provided an opportunity for informal discussions. In a relaxed atmosphere, conversations were deepened, new contacts were made and ideas from the day were taken forward. The mood: inspired, open and forward-looking. With Ü:MO 2025, ARENA2036 has once again impressively demonstrated how excellent research, cross-industry cooperation and bold ideas work together in an open innovation ecosystem. The day once again demonstrated what our research campus is all about: shaping innovation together - across disciplines, organizations and borders. We also want to shape the future together in the coming year - with new impulses, exciting projects and open dialogs, the research campus will once again be the venue for the Ü:MO series in 2026 on June 18.

You can find more information about the event on the event page:

Here you can find information about the keynotes including the recordings.
Click here for the official aftermovie.
You can find exciting impressions of the event in our comprehensive picture gallery.
Here you can find a detailed overview of ARENA2036 offers for our members.