March 31 – April 2, 2026 | Paris Nord Villepinte – Hall 7
Road, rail, river, sea: SITL 2026 brings together all players in transport and logistics around a common challenge: how to optimize, decarbonize, and streamline flows across Europe. Throughout the trade show, conferences led by recognized experts, exclusive barometers, and dedicated areas will showcase solutions that connect the different modes of transport. From analysis of key operational factors and technological advances (AI, digitalization), to European corridors and 2040 foresight, the event becomes a platform for acceleration, where decision-makers, shippers, and service providers can find concrete solutions to expand into new markets.
Each mode of transport faces its own challenges in meeting the shared goals of decarbonization and competitiveness. While the objectives are common, the ways to achieve them can vary depending on the specifics of each stakeholder. SITL 2026 provides a unique space to exchange experiences and identify synergies.
Road transport facing new challenges
Faced with rising costs (+5.5% excluding fuel), increasing regulatory pressure (low-emission zones, Euro 7, etc.), and growing demand for traceability, the road transport sector is reinventing itself. Service providers at SITL will showcase their innovations: clean vehicles (electric, CNG, hydrogen), route optimization through artificial intelligence, and collaboration to reduce empty kilometers. These are some of the key issues addressed by exhibitors already registered*, such as LOG’S GXO Logistics France, Arvato Services, Ceva Logistics, Yusen Logistics France, Malherbe Services, Open Modal, and Daher Logistics, demonstrating how to combine economic performance with a reduced carbon footprint.
Rail transport seeking acceleration
The government’s goal is ambitious: to double the share of rail freight (from 9.3% to 18% by 2030). Yet progress remains slow (+0.3 points in just one year). The obstacles are well known: consolidation costs, irregular train paths, and the complexity of transshipment. However, combined rail-road transport is growing (+2.9% in 2023), showing that solutions do exist. Rail operators, wagon leasing companies, and infrastructure managers will discuss at SITL the conditions for scaling up: service reliability, infrastructure investments, and packaged offers to facilitate access for shippers.
These transformations will be showcased by leading players* such as SNCF Réseau, DB Cargo France, Europorte France, Rail Logistics Europe, Mercitalia, as well as rail equipment lessors like Akiem Holding, Modalis, Railpool France, and specialists in combined transport such as Rail-Flow and Lineas.
Maritime and inland waterways: assets to leverage
With 80% of global trade passing through the seas and 1.7% of French freight transported via inland waterways, these modes remain essential pillars of logistics. Their carbon advantage is significant: 18 g CO₂/t.km for rail, 30 g for inland waterways, and 10–40 g for maritime, compared with 90–120 g for road. Yet their potential remains underexploited in France. Ports, shipping companies, and inland operators at SITL will demonstrate that the infrastructure exists and that offerings are mature. The current challenge is to better integrate these routes with land networks to create efficient and competitive transport chains.
Key players in the sector* such as Voies Navigables de France (VNF), the Seine Axis Fluvial-Maritime Port (Haropa), Medlink Ports, the Port of Barcelona, the Port of Strasbourg, as well as maritime transport specialists like Commodity Supplies AG, Hapag-Lloyd France, and MSC will share their experiences and strategies to maximize the potential of these alternative modes.
A session dedicated to maritime transport: Maritime Day
On April 1, several conferences will explore the structural changes in the maritime sector, from its geopolitical dimension to concrete decarbonization strategies:
• “Shipping 2035 : Which European Voices in Response to the New Trade Routes?” (April 1, 11:00–11:45, Métamorphose Stage) As major powers reshape the maritime playing field—environmental standards, strategic corridors, trade alliances—how is Europe defending its vision and regulatory influence?
• “From Port to Consumer : How to Involve the Entire Maritime Chain in the Transition?” (April 1, 12:00–12:45, Métamorphose Stage) Reducing the environmental footprint of maritime transport is no longer the concern of shipowners alone: ports, freight forwarders, and end customers are now involved. This session will present concrete decarbonization solutions, including clean energies (LNG, methanol, hydrogen), wind-assisted propulsion, digital traceability tools, and flow consolidation.
Another session on April 1, dedicated to multimodal transport: Multimodal Day
Beyond competition between modes, their intelligent integration has become a decisive competitive advantage. Each mode has real strengths: responsiveness and coverage of road, high capacity of rail, fine service of inland waterways, and long-distance maritime. The goal is no longer to choose one channel over another, but to orchestrate their complementarity to improve both performance and environmental impact.
This systemic approach will be explored in the conference “Multimodal: How to Move from Promise to Action?” (April 1, 16:00–16:45, Main Stage). While modal shift remains a shared objective, its implementation is uneven. Why do some players succeed while others remain stuck? Speakers will share experiences from shippers and service providers who have successfully combined modes, operational tipping points, and viable economic models.
These discussions will continue in the Multimodal Village, a dedicated space where operators, shippers, and institutions can meet for hands-on demonstrations and direct networking. This dynamic will be further reinforced by the partnership with GNTC, a key player in combined transport in France.
The Métamorphose Center: Showcase of innovation, spanning all themes
At the heart of the trade show, the Métamorphose Center brings together innovations transforming the transport and logistics sector, regardless of the mode, Tech’xploration (a 1-hour active visit in small groups searching for innovative solutions, led by Supply Chain and Transport directors), Smart Solution Tours (guided, tailor-made visits focused on a specific challenge), collaborative murals (collective intelligence exercises to address sectoral challenges), Innovation Festival (start-up and scale-up pitch sessions), SITL CO-LAB (exclusive sessions designed to develop collective intelligence and solve major industry issues), the Solution Desk (bringing together state, public and private organizations supporting businesses)
Digital and Foresight on the Agenda
If the obstacles to transport optimization are now well identified, solutions are emerging at the intersection of technology, European infrastructure, and new cross-border collaboration models. SITL 2026 explores these developing territories, where innovation addresses operational deadlocks and foresight becomes a concrete roadmap.
Real-time traceability, flow optimization through artificial intelligence, predictive management of transshipment disruptions, interoperability of information systems: technological resources are enabling the overcoming of historical constraints that have hindered transport efficiency. Lack of visibility over flows, complex documentation between actors and countries, poor coordination at transshipment points… these are all bottlenecks that technology is progressively removing. Regardless of the mode used—road, rail, inland waterways, or sea—digitalization enhances performance, reduces costs, and ensures reliability in delivery times.
These digital tools reach their full potential at the European scale, where harmonization between countries and modes becomes a strategic challenge. Physical borders are fading thanks to collaborative platforms, digital twins of supply chains, and interoperability between national systems.
The question of scaling multimodal usage at a continental level will be at the heart of the session “Multimodal Europe: How to Scale Collaboration Across Borders?” (April 1, 2:00–2:45 PM, Main Stage). From the Alps to the Mediterranean, from the Seine to the Rhine, Europe is testing multimodal models on all fronts. But how can local successes be transformed into continental-scale achievements?
“2040: What Will a Truly Multimodal Supply Chain Look Like?” (April 1, 5:00–5:45 PM, Main Stage) will close the day by offering a realistic projection of tomorrow’s models. Emerging trimodality (road–rail–inland waterways–sea orchestrated by AI), self-organizing smart hubs, logistics-territory integration: could the weak signals we see today shape the transport chains of 2040?
The AUTF/Eurogroup Consulting Barometers: A Must-Attend Event for Understanding the Market
Throughout SITL 2026, AUTF (Association of Freight Transport Users) and Eurogroup Consulting will present their sector barometers exclusively—real-time indicators of the transport and logistics market.
• Road Transport Barometer (March 30, 2:00–2:45 PM, Main Stage): Overview of the road freight market, capacity tensions, regulatory developments, and economic outlook.
• Maritime Barometer (April 1, 10:00–10:45 AM, Métamorphose Stage): Trends in containerized maritime freight, impact of geopolitical tensions on trade routes, decarbonization strategies for shippers, and analysis of costs and lead times.
• Multimodal Barometer (April 1, 3:00–3:45 PM, Main Stage): Quantitative assessment of the combined transport market, shifts in modal shares, obstacles and levers identified by shippers, and 2025–2026 outlook.
• Customs Barometer (April 2, 2:00–2:30 PM, Métamorphose Stage): Overview of shippers’ perceptions and practices regarding customs, identification of key operational bottlenecks and improvement levers, and outlook for 2025–2026.
SITL 2026: An Acceleration Platform for All Transport Stakeholders
Over the three days of the show, and especially during the transport-focused “Days,” all modes will converge in a unique decision-making hub. Public decision-makers, shippers, road, rail, maritime and inland waterway operators, start-ups, and institutional players—all come together to exchange ideas, experiment, and build concrete partnerships.
Because “Conquering New Territories,” the theme of the 2026 edition, also means opening up new routes—more collaborative, more sustainable, and truly European.
*As of December 15, 2025
Practical Information
• Opening Hours for the Public:
o Tuesday, March 31: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
o Wednesday, April 1: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
o Thursday, April 2: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Location:
Paris Nord Villepinte – Hall 7
ZAC Paris Nord 2, 93420 Villepinte, France
