Rethinking the Workshop – Insights from MSX’25 in Hamburg
Rethinking the Workshop – Insights from MSX’25 in Hamburg
Last weekend, we visited Mobility Service Xpo 2025 (MSX’25), Carat’s new industry event at the Congress Center Hamburg. With the theme “Rethinking the Workshop,” the event brought together manufacturers, suppliers, and innovators to explore how the automotive aftermarket is evolving in an era of rapid digital transformation.
As founders of WrenchLane, an AI-powered platform for vehicle diagnostics and repair support, we were especially keen to understand how technology is reshaping workshops in a country that has long defined the automotive industry.
The State of Innovation in the Workshop
From the opening hours, it was clear that Germany’s workshop sector is entering a new phase of modernization. The exhibition halls were filled with the major suppliers showcasing tangible improvements in hardware, tools, and service equipment—all aimed at making the mechanic’s job safer and more efficient.
Our discussions with Hella Gutmann and ZF highlighted both the progress and the challenges in today’s diagnostic workflows. Reading and programming new vehicle models remains a complex and time-consuming process—something that many in the industry are eager to simplify through better data access and smarter software integration.
AI Begins to Find Its Place
While much of the focus was still on physical tools, a growing number of smaller innovators are beginning to explore how artificial intelligence can redefine the workflow.
One example was IAV Service Cloud, which showcased how AI and augmented reality can merge technical documentation and connected devices to assist mechanics in real time. Other players demonstrated early use cases for AI in customer communication, data analytics, and DMS optimization—clear signs that digital transformation is starting to reach the workshop floor.
A Glimpse of the Future
The event concluded with a pitch competition where workshops submitted ideas for the “tools of tomorrow.”
- 🥇 First place: innovations improving workplace ergonomics and safety for heavy lifting.
- 🥈 Second place: sustainability initiatives focused on reducing environmental impact.
- 🥉 Third place: an AI-based concept to improve diagnostic efficiency—an encouraging recognition of technology’s growing role in everyday workshop operations.
Collaboration Will Shape the Next Chapter
Our key takeaway from MSX’25 is that the industry stands at a crossroads. Established players continue to refine the physical foundation of the workshop, while new entrants are beginning to unlock its digital potential.
To accelerate progress, collaboration between these two worlds—traditional expertise and new technology—will be essential. At WrenchLane, we believe that AI will not replace the mechanic; it will empower them, by making diagnostics faster, more accurate, and more accessible than ever before.
A sincere thank you to Carat for inviting us and hosting an inspiring first edition of the Mobility Service Xpo. The energy, openness, and curiosity we saw in Hamburg reaffirmed our belief that the future of the workshop will be built not just with new tools, but with new ways of thinking.
Now we’re looking forward to AAPEX and SEMA at the beginning of November.
— Hans Markebrant, Co-founder, WrenchLane