By Timothy Albrite
From May 21st to 24th, the city of Bologna in Italy hosted Autopromotec 2025, the biennial international exhibition of automotive equipment and aftermarket products. The event brought together companies, engineers, innovators, and policymakers to showcase the future of vehicle maintenance, equipment, and parts.
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) Nairobi sponsored six delegates from Kenya to attend. The delegates engaged in B2B meetings with potential suppliers and business partners with an aim to establish partnerships that will allow Kenyan businesses and consumers to benefit from Italian expertise, high-quality automotive parts and related services.
ITA- Italian Trade Agency is the Governmental agency that supports business development of Italian companies abroad and promotes the attraction of foreign investment in Italy. With over 70 offices worldwide, ITA provides information, assistance, consulting, promotion and training to Italian small and medium-sized businesses helping them connect and build relationships with local businesses in each country.
ITA organises and collaborates with different entities to organise initiatives such as Autopromotec.
Kenyan businesses interested in exploring opportunities with Italian partners are encouraged to contact the ITA Nairobi office at nairobi@ice.it.
The Autopromotec Experience
Also Read: Voices from Kenya: Insights from the Kenyan Delegation at Autopromotec
Walking through Autopromotec was like seeing what the future could look like for aftermarket products, and the automotive industry in Kenya. From the latest in diagnostics and spare parts to automation, sustainability and technology.
In Kenya, car repairs often involve improvisation, manual labour, and time-consuming processes. Autopromotec showed something different. Here, machines lift engines, align wheels, clean vehicles, and diagnose faults, all with speed, precision, and consistency. These technologies are not meant to replace mechanics, but to equip them with tools that enhance accuracy, reduce errors, and save time.
Cleaning & Service centre
My first stop was at the cleaning and service center section. Here, I met teams working in car cleaning, detergents, maintenance products, and washing technology. Unlike the local carwash stations in Kenya, these are automatic car wash systems that you drive through and the system washes, and even dries your car. The machine handles the job quickly, with consistent results. How many times have you been in a queue at your local car wash, waiting, while you’re getting late for another engagement that you can’t attend to with a dirty car?
These machines could be your lifesaver. You drive through, and in very few minutes, the system handles everything. There are new materials too, cleaners that are less harmful to the environment, soaps that are gentle on paint, and tools that reduce water use.
Tools That Do the Heavy Lifting
As I moved deeper into the fair, I kept seeing tools that do what Kenyan mechanics often do manually by hand and strength. Greasing parts, lifting engines, removing and reinserting piston rings, spark plugs, etc. There are machines now for all of it.
In place of heavy manual labour, advanced machines now take on tasks that require physical strength, making the work quicker and more precise. It’s not just about saving time, but about improving the accuracy and quality of service.
I also got to see tools that streamline other aspects of the repair process, like tire changes, diagnostics, and even the kinds of intricate work involved in body repairs. These new tools are designed not only to get the job done more quickly but also to minimize waste and energy use.
It’s common to see mechanics in Kenyan garages, working with limited tools, improvising as they go. At Autopromotec, the mechanics work alongside machines. Instead of spending hours on one repair, they’re able to focus on diagnosis and fine-tuning, while the machines handle the repetitive and heavy tasks. Kenyan garages, could benefit significantly from such innovations. With better tools, the same mechanics can deliver more accurate service, reduce guesswork, and serve more customers in less time.
Global-Standard Parts, Made in Italy
SKT was another eye-opener. This company supplies oil seals for both passenger and commercial vehicles. They supply parts to BMW and Wabco, so the parts are not just aftermarket they’re built to meet the standards of global carmakers. Kenya’s growing demand for reliable replacement parts stands to benefit from suppliers like SKT.
Ball Systems SPA showed me tools for dent repair, specifically, bendless dent repair. No filler, no repainting. The system lifts dents without damaging the original paint. For car owners and body shops in Kenya, this could be a game-changer.
Nitromac focuses on repairing bent rims, specifically those for motorcycles. It’s a useful solution for riders navigating Kenya’s rough roads, where rim damage is common for their safety and convenience back on the road.
Tyres with a memory: RFID – A step forward in Traceability
One of the most interesting interactions I had was with a company working on RFID systems for tyres. This entails giving each tyre a digital identity.
With embedded chips, a tyre’s life can be tracked from the factory to the road, and even when it’s retreaded or scrapped.
These tools make it easy for car manufacturers, retreaders, and repair shops to share data. It helps prevent reuse of damaged tyres, improves safety, and could also transform how claims and warranties are handled. Because it ensures traceability. It helps prevent unsafe tyres from being resold or reused.
It also supports fleet management with accurate diagnostics and maintenance alerts. Tyres embedded with RFID technology can communicate wear-and-tear data directly to diagnostic machines, improving road safety while supporting circular economy practices.
For a country like Kenya, where the second-hand tyre market is large but often unregulated, this kind of traceability could protect both consumers and businesses. These technologies aren’t just for Europe, they’re solutions that could work in Kenya, with the right investment and support.
Italian Automotive products are proving that the tools and systems that make cars last longer, perform better, and stay safer are already here. Now it’s about bridging that gap between what’s possible and what’s available in Kenya.
Lessons and Opportunities for Kenya
Throughout the fair, four key themes echoed: technological innovation, data access, sustainability, and quality manufacturing. These themes align closely with the changes Kenya’s auto industry needs: more reliable parts, better diagnostics, safer repairs, and greener practices.
For local garages and distributors, the opportunity is twofold, to explore partnerships with Italian manufacturers and to invest in modern equipment that can elevate service delivery. For vocational training institutions, there’s a need to prepare the next generation of technicians to work alongside machines, not behind them.
The Kenyan delegation held multiple B2B meetings with suppliers offering ‘Made in Italy’ solutions. The aim was to establish long-term collaborations that would open up access to equipment, training, and spare parts that meet global standards.
Autopromotec 2025 reminded us that the future of car care isn’t just about machines but also about people. It’s about enabling technicians, empowering workshops, and ensuring every vehicle on our roads is safer and more reliable.
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) Nairobi encourages Kenyan businesses to reach out for more information on how to connect with Italian suppliers and manufacturers. They can be contacted at nairobi@ice.it.
With the right support and partnerships, the innovations on display in Bologna could soon become tools in the hands of Kenyan mechanics, business owners, and drivers.
Read: Insights from the Kenyan delegation at Autopromotec 2025
