Cenex Expo 2025 Sets the Pace for Transport Innovation
All eyes will be on UTAC Millbrook this 3–4 September as Cenex Expo 2025 roars into action, once again cementing its reputation as the UK’s go-to event for transport innovation.
Kicking off with a keynote from Rt Hon. Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the event promises two action-packed days of industry-defining debate, live demos, and future-forward collaboration.
Her keynote will fire the starting gun on a rich programme of seminars, offering a deep dive into the policies, technologies, and strategies fast-tracking the UK’s Net Zero ambitions and redefining the landscape of Connected Automated Mobility (CAM).
Three Themes, Six Theatres, One Future
Cenex has never been shy about thinking big. And 2025 is no exception. This year’s seminar programme is built around three game-changing themes:
- Transition to Net Zero
- Connected Automated Mobility (CAM)
- Cross-sector Technology Transfer
Spread across six theatres, the agenda isn’t just about blue-sky ideas. It’s geared toward those knee-deep in the trenches of real-world transport transformation. Whether it’s unlocking commercial pathways for automated freight, decoding CAM regulations, or scaling up clean vehicle technologies, attendees can expect candid conversations and cutting-edge insight.
One session already sparking buzz: Building an Automotive Industrial Policy for the Next Decade. This heavyweight discussion will unpack the Government’s £2.5 billion DRIVE35 initiative, a cornerstone investment in vehicle electrification, R&D, and strategic commercialisation.
What the Sector’s Leaders Are Saying
Robert Evans, CEO of Cenex, is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge ahead. But he’s equally clear-eyed about the UK’s opportunity: “We’ve curated this year’s sessions to give attendees clarity and actionable insights.
“With the ICE phase-out looming for cars and vans, there’s a scale-up opportunity for UK automotive via sustainable manufacturing. Net Zero for trucks is the next frontier, alongside commercialising driverless logistics and rolling out next-gen EV charging technologies.
“Cenex Expo is a rallying point for cross-sector collaboration and forward-thinking leadership.”
From Policy to Pavement
The Cenex Expo 2025 seminar programme doesn’t shy away from the thorny issues. Among the topics making waves this year:
- What’s next for the UK’s Automated Vehicles Act and secondary legislation?
- How can HGVs and commercial fleets realistically decarbonise?
- Are today’s EV supply chains circular and resilient enough?
- What will equitable and accessible charging infrastructure really look like?
- How will AI and hydrogen redefine software-defined vehicles?
Each session aims to do more than educate — it’s about engaging stakeholders in the hard conversations that pave the way for scalable, sustainable solutions.
High-Profile Names, Heavyweight Ideas
The speaker line-up reads like a who’s who of the UK’s mobility transformation effort:
- Rt Hon. Sarah Jones MP, Minister for Industry and Economic Security
- Graham Zebedee, Advanced Manufacturing Director, Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
- Mike Hawes, CEO, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
- Tom Adeyoola, Executive Chair, Innovate UK
- Ian Constance, CEO, Advanced Propulsion Centre UK
Together, they’ll address how government and industry can co-create a transport sector fit for the next generation — and the one after that.
Innovation That Moves
While the talking happens in the theatres, the proving ground lies just outside. With more than 150 exhibitors on-site and a live outdoor demo area, Cenex Expo gives visitors a front-row seat to mobility in motion. From driverless vehicle trials to cutting-edge EV technologies and AI-driven transport systems, the ride-and-drive area is where concept meets capability.
Organisers are expecting over 4,000 visitors, all ready to network, negotiate and navigate the road ahead. That makes Cenex not just a showcase, but a crossroads — a place where policymakers, engineers, and entrepreneurs come together to spark change.
A Broader Context
In a year marked by increasing pressure on global supply chains, rising energy costs, and an urgent push for decarbonisation, Cenex Expo couldn’t come at a more crucial moment. The UK’s transport and mobility sectors are facing a perfect storm of disruption and opportunity. Events like Cenex offer the rare chance to align interests, technologies, and policies under one roof — or under one open sky, in this case.
As McKinsey notes in its latest mobility outlook: “electrification, autonomy, connectivity, and shared mobility will reshape the auto industry more profoundly than in the past century.” And in that reshaping lies both a commercial imperative and a climate responsibility.
Driving the Future Together
Cenex Expo 2025 isn’t just another diary date. It’s where transport futures are forged. The conversations started in Bedfordshire won’t end there. They’ll ripple out into policy white papers, R&D funding proposals, and infrastructure rollouts across the country.
For anyone with a stake in sustainable mobility — whether that’s electrification, automation, or industrial strategy — Cenex Expo is the place to be.
