2022 Conference Programme

European carmakers face huge uncertainty even as they must upgrade plants for a new generation of vehicles and technology. But amidst so much change, OEMs and suppliers are increasingly leveraging the huge scale of production data across all stages of the value chain, from body shop through assembly and logistics. Used effectively and with clear actions, this data can help mitigate disruption, reduce errors and downtime, help workers make decisions and speed up factory planning and launch: all essential in OEMs staying competitive and ramping up electric vehicle and battery output.

In this opening panel discussion, data and engineering experts from Europe’s most complex manufacturers, including Audi, discuss the tremendous opportunities in data analytics, artificial intelligence and digital simulation, and the cloud, edge and tools that support them. Learn more about how processing, sharing and standardising data across the stakeholders will power next-generation vehicle production.

Battery manufacturers such as CATL, startup players as well as OEMs are investing hugely to establish regional production of battery cells and packs in Europe, with gigafactories coming online. Producing EV batteries brings a range of new complexities, from access to renewable energy and materials and keeping up with chemistry changes in battery cells, to integrating battery enclosure structures in modules.

This session features major battery producers and startups, manufacturers and specialists exploring the production strategies, constraints and opportunities in ramping up output of EV batteries, including in automation, supply chain, chemistries, materials and much more.

As European faces ongoing crises in energy, supply and inflation, alongside recession worries, the outlook for vehicle production remains uncertain. But the commitment and investment in electric vehicle and battery production is transforming manufacturing, ushering in new players and forging new partnerships. Hear the latest analysis and forecast for the European sector from S&P Global, including volume, regulations and OEM strategies in the face of disruption and changing business models.

In such a volatile environment, OEMs and suppliers must respond to mitigate disruption to production, maximise capacity and optimise production sequences. At the same time, they must adapt plants to meet the requirements of electrification, sustainability and digitalisation. In this sessions, automotive manufacturing experts discuss strategies for managing the pace of change and variety in manufacturing and unpack what they will mean across plant assembly lines and shopfloors.

As automotive manufacturers ramp up electric vehicle and battery volumes, they are managing compressed timelines for product development and serial production, gaining an edge by getting to market sooner. In response, OEMs and suppliers are leveraging new EV architectures and implementing strategies to simplify production processes and increase flexibility, including microfactories, modular concepts and software-driven technology.

After a short presentation on highly flexible production strategies from e.GO CTO Dr Stefan Rudolf, a panel of experts from emerging and established manufacturers in Europe will join him to discuss how they are transforming automotive production for a new era of flexibility and speed.

With the European automotive manufacturing landscape changes in the face of ongoing disruption, and transitions to meet the needs of electrification and new technology, tier-1 suppliers are under pressure keep up with new products, processes and competencies. Many are transitioning their plants and staff whilst developing new manufacturing services and technology.

Join this session with major tier-1s and manufacturing experts to better understand what electrification means for tier-1 suppliers in areas like powertrain and body structures, as well as how suppliers are changing their ways of working to be more agile in decision making and production and adapting to an industry where software and data take priority over mechatronic and mechanical engineering competencies.

OEMs and suppliers are adapting a range of materials, combinations and approaches in production with the aim of simplifying processes, reducing weight and emissions. Electrification and sustainability targets are leading to changes body in body-in-white, including across high-strength steel and aluminium, but also in the plastics and metals used across interiors, and in trim and assembly.

In this session, learn more about how suppliers and manufacturers are adapting forming and injection processes, and how new technology and materials are ushering in new innovations in manufacturing.

As OEMs use more data analytics and digitalisation to optimise processes and reduce waste, many are improving operations in paintshops with new levels of automation, error detection and energy management. In this session, learn how OEMs, robotic and paintshop specialists are increasing efficiency and speed in coating and drying process in paintshop, and making key steps to reduce emissions and pollution.

Automotive OEMs and suppliers aim to transform existing and new factories into a new generation of smart factories that produce vehicle sustainably. With the convergence of digitalisation and electrification, manufacturing engineers are reimagining production flows, redesigning layouts and supplier processes, and using connected equipment and visibility across plants to build up digital twins and both anticipate issues and simulate different scenarios, speeding up production changes.

In this session, learn more about both the cutting-edge technologies, partnerships and the simple steps Europe’s industry is taking to future-proof factories and quicken the rollout of new technology, battery and EV production.

To achieve ambitions in electrification and sustainability, carmakers and battery producers across Europe are upgrading facilities, equipment and systems to stay competitive with other regions and new players. That means optimising value streams to ensure production is lean and efficient, whilst integrating advanced data and digitalisation technologies. It is also a huge opportunity to reindustrialise existing or former production plants.

In this session, BMW Munich Plant Director Peter Weber will explain how BMW is achieving these objectives with its iFactory strategy, and how its 100-year-old plant in the centre of Munich is being transformed into a global benchmark for a new generation of EVs and for lean, green and digital production. He will then be joined by other experts to discuss how manufacturers in Europe are revamping production plants and ensuring their existing production plants can be as flexible and efficient as any greenfield.