ERA Transformation Working Group sets direction for the future of rental

The future of the rental industry will be shaped not only by new technologies, but also by the industry’s ability to adapt its business models, skills and customer offer. That was the underlying message emerging from the latest meeting of ERA’s Transformation Working Group, held in Naples and hosted by Italian rental company D’Avino.

Bringing together rental professionals from across Europe, the Working Group used the meeting to define a clear mission for its future activities: ‘Prepare for the future, build one market, transform together”.

The ambition is to help rental companies anticipate change, turn emerging trends into practical guidance and accelerate innovation across the European rental sector.

The ERA’s Transformation Working Group in Naples. (Image: ERA)

The discussions highlighted that rental is likely to evolve gradually beyond its traditional role of supplying equipment. Future growth opportunities may increasingly lie in integrated solutions combining equipment, data, energy, connectivity and specialised services.

Rather than a sudden disruption, participants envisaged a transition in which traditional and emerging business models coexist for many years.

Connected equipment, digital platforms

Data emerged as one of the most important themes. As equipment becomes more connected and digital platforms play a larger role in fleet management, utilisation monitoring and compliance reporting, access to and control of data is becoming a strategic issue for rental companies.

The industry possesses a unique source of operational information, creating opportunities to improve customer service, optimise operations and develop new value-added services. At the same time, questions around ownership, governance, cybersecurity and the role of third-party technology providers are becoming increasingly important.

The Working Group is now exploring several potential areas of future work, including artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, outcome-based rental, temporary energy solutions and future workforce skills.

A common theme across all these topics is the need for practical, actionable guidance that can help rental companies prepare for change, regardless of their size or level of digital maturity.

Looking ahead, the group intends to develop a broader body of work around the future of rental, bringing together industry expertise, practical examples and research.

The objective is not to predict exactly what rental will look like in ten years’ time, but to help companies understand the forces shaping the industry and prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead.

If you are a rental company and would like to contribute to these discussions and future projects, the ERA Transformation Working Group welcomes both ERA members and non-members. To learn more, please contact [email protected].