Upcoming Events:September 23, 2026 - September 24, 2026
Location:
About the Event
Mark your calendars, because the grown-ups in the autonomous vehicle space are getting together again. The Autonomous Main Event 2026 is descending upon Vienna, Austria—and the internet—from September 23-24, 2026. This isn’t another vaporware showcase; it’s the flagship conference where top executives, engineers, and regulators convene to hammer out the gnarly challenges of making self-driving systems actually safe for public consumption.
Held at the historic Hofburg Imperial Palace, this hybrid event gathers the key players from across the global mobility ecosystem. The 2026 motto is “Building Trust for Autonomy to Scale,” which is a polite way of saying, “Let’s figure out how to make people and governments believe these things won’t go rogue.” Initiated by TTTech Auto, The Autonomous has become one of the most critical forums for fostering the kind of cross-industry collaboration needed to create global safety standards.
This event is essential for anyone professionally invested in the future of mobility, including automotive OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, robotics firms, and software developers. Attendees will gain actionable insights from technical workshops, strategic keynotes, and panel discussions designed to move the industry from theoretical designs to real-world, scalable deployments.
Program Highlights
While the full agenda is still under wraps, the event is built around solving the most pressing issues in autonomous technology. Based on previous editions, expect a laser focus on the frameworks required for mass deployment. The 2024 event, for instance, set a new attendance record with over 580 participants from more than 250 companies.
Key themes for 2026 will likely revolve around:
- Safety, Security, and Robustness: Moving beyond redundancy to create truly trustworthy systems and architectures.
- AI and Software-Defined Autonomy: Tackling the limitations and opportunities of AI in safety-critical applications, from perception to decision-making.
- Regulatory Roadmaps: Debating the global harmonization of regulations needed to get Level 3 and Level 4 systems on the road legally and safely.
- Ecosystem Collaboration: Working on global reference solutions that the entire industry can adopt, because competing on safety is a race to the bottom for everyone.
- Scaling from Passenger Cars to Trucking: Examining the different challenges and commercial pathways for both consumer vehicles and autonomous logistics.
Featured Speakers
The Autonomous consistently attracts a C-suite and senior expert crowd that you won’t find anywhere else. While the 2026 speaker list is forthcoming, past events provide a glimpse of the caliber you can expect.
Previous editions have featured industry heavyweights such as:
- Nikolai Setzer, CEO of Continental
- Lars Reger, CTO at NXP Semiconductors
- Mathias Pillin, CTO of Bosch Mobility
- Shai Shalev-Shwartz, CTO of Mobileye
- Sterling Anderson, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Aurora
- Ricky Hudi, Chairman of The Autonomous and former EVP at Audi AG
The lineup is a veritable who’s who of the people actually building and shipping the technology that will define the next century of transportation.
Schedule Outline
The final schedule will be released closer to the event date. However, attendees can anticipate a packed two-day program based on the successful format of previous years.
Day 1 - September 23, 2026
- Morning: Registration, networking coffee, and opening keynotes from industry titans.
- Midday: Deep-dive panel discussions on end-to-end architecture and AI safety.
- Afternoon: Parallel technical workshops and breakout sessions focusing on specific challenges.
- Evening: Networking reception at the Hofburg Palace.
Day 2 - September 24, 2026
- Morning: Strategic keynotes on regulation and market deployment, plus a “Disruptors’ Track” for innovative startups.
- Midday: Fireside chats and cross-industry panels discussing trucking, mobility-as-a-service, and robotics.
- Afternoon: Interactive roundtables and the presentation of reports from The Autonomous Working Groups.
- Late Afternoon: Closing remarks and a final look at the road ahead.
Registration
If you’re serious about the future of autonomous mobility, this is a non-negotiable event. Procrastination is the enemy of progress and, more importantly, savings.
- Tickets: Super Early Bird pricing is now available for both in-person and virtual tickets.
- Link: You can secure your spot by registering on the official event website: Register Now
Registration includes access to all keynotes, panel discussions, and breakout sessions, as well as networking opportunities. In-person attendees will also enjoy the full hospitality of the historic Vienna venue. For any questions, you can reach the organizers at [email protected].
