{"id":5300,"date":"2025-11-05T15:43:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T14:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ibs-ev.com\/uncategorized\/53-ibs-kongress-2025-in-saarbruecken\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T15:59:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T14:59:19","slug":"53rd-ibs-congress-2025-in-saarbrucken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibs-ev.com\/en\/events\/congresses\/53rd-ibs-congress-2025-in-saarbrucken\/","title":{"rendered":"53rd IBS Congress 2025 in Saarbr\u00fccken"},"content":{"rendered":"

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European Perspectives for a Sustainable Rail Freight Sector<\/h3>\n

On 23\u201324 October 2025, the 53rd IBS Congress took place in Saarbr\u00fccken, in cooperation with the Saarland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Saarland).
\nUnder the guiding theme \u201cSaarland as a Potential Hub\u201d, the event focused on key questions of European cooperation, digitalization, and the development of intermodal and multimodal logistics concepts.
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Opportunities for Saarland in European Rail Freight<\/h3>\n

The first day of the congress was dedicated to exploring the potential of Saarland as a location for north\u2013south and east\u2013west rail connections.
\nFollowing the welcoming remarks by Olaf Kr\u00fcger (IBS) and Dr. Carsten Meier (IHK Saarland), expert presentations by Dr. Carsten Peter (IHK Saarland), Dr. Nadine Artelt (SHS Logistics\/Saarstahl), and Stefan Puhl (Puhl GmbH) provided insights into current developments, operational requirements, and the region\u2019s infrastructure potential.<\/p>\n

In a subsequent panel discussion moderated by Olivier Genkin (IBS), representatives from DB Cargo\/Transa, Forwardis, Eurorail International, Rail Cargo Austria\/Chemoil, and CFL Multimodal discussed the future of European rail freight transport. A central conclusion emerged: the rail sector has a strong future \u2013 driven by intermodality, digitalization, and automation.
\nSustainable business models such as wagon group concepts and multimodal solutions will be essential, alongside the growing importance of digital platforms and the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC).<\/p>\n

The first congress day concluded with a traditional Saarland dinner at the Ratskeller Saarbr\u00fccken.
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Board Election and New Impulses<\/h3>\n

The second day began with the IBS General Assembly and Board Election. The previous board \u2013 Olaf Kr\u00fcger, Christian Ressenaar, Tiberiu Buz\u00e1s, Olivier Genkin, and Udo Sauerbrey \u2013 was unanimously re-elected, with Udo Sauerbrey appointed as the new chairman.<\/p>\n

A key focus of the assembly was the integration of non-craneable trailers into combined transport \u2013 a rapidly growing market segment.
\nUnder the direction of Tiberiu Buz\u00e1s (IBS), Roman Noack (Helrom), representatives of R2L and CargoBeamer, as well as Olaf Kr\u00fcger (IBS), presented innovative approaches for integrating these transports into multimodal logistics chains.<\/p>\n

A study by Railistics showed that more than 95% of European trailers are currently non-craneable, yet they represent a significant potential for rail freight.
\nThe discussion addressed both market opportunities \u2013 such as horizontal handling systems \u2013 and existing challenges. IBS announced its intention to support pilot projects, promote the expansion of suitable terminals, and advocate more strongly for these systems at the European level.
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Digitalization as the Key to the Future<\/h3>\n

Another major topic was the digitalization of rail logistics. Discussions focused on the potential of the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC), data-driven business development (Freight.Data.Now), and platform-based capacity matching through the Rail-Flow Rail Capacity Broker. The discussions clearly demonstrated that the future of rail freight is sustainable, connected, and data-driven.
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Looking Ahead to the Anniversary Year<\/h3>\n

To conclude the congress, the IBS Board provided an outlook on the association\u2019s upcoming 30th anniversary celebrations next year.
\nA joint lunch and a guided tour through the historic casemates of Saarbr\u00fccken rounded off the event.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotos: IHK Saarland, IBS Board<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

53rd IBS Congress 2025 in Saarbr\u00fccken<\/h2>\n

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