2023 Conference Programme

In 20 years of Automotive Logistics’ conferences in Europe, supply chain management has never played such a decisive role in the operational and financial stability of major companies as it does today. Manufacturers and providers have adapted to non-stop crises following the pandemic, chip shortages and Russia-Ukraine war, whilst accelerating transformation in electrification, digitalisation and sustainability. With no immediate return to ‘normal’ in sight, supply chain and logistics leaders must continue to invest in the right tools and partners to stay resilient – as well as to help key stakeholders make the best possible decisions for the future.

Join our opening session to learn more about this strategic evolution in action, including a keynote and panel discussion with BMW Group. The carmaker’s top logistics executive, Dr Michael Nikolaides, will share more about his department’s vision, including advances in visibility, predictive analytics and emission reduction, innovation with logistics providers, and how supply chain management can influence supply, production and even product decisions.

To avoid production slowdowns and wasted resources, OEMs, suppliers and logistics providers are more focused on visibility, planning and prioritisation, as well as the communication that allows them to better align manufacturing and supply chain capacity. Companies in Europe are striving to increase predictability and automation in their inbound, outbound and internal logistics processes, which will depend on selecting the right technology and tools, close planning with manufacturing plants, better visibility of upstream suppliers and the right logistics partners.

In this session, be inspired by how automotive companies are gaining greater control, increasing efficiency and sustainability of the end-to-end supply chain. Experts will discuss ways to close gaps and silos across logistics planning, ensuring that production and transport schedules are synced with key partners, and helping the wider organisation to consider all facets of the supply chain in sourcing, manufacturing, trade and inventory decisions. Logistics leaders will also share practical steps to achieve smarter logistics at both OEM and tier-1 levels, including network optimisation, sustainable packaging and affordable technology to improve visibility, control tower solutions and increase automation in logistics and material flow. Learn how to plan smart, streamlined logistics to help keep European manufacturing and exports competitive.

The global chip crisis is far from over, as capacity constraints continue to lead OEMs to prioritise certain models and plants. Meanwhile, increasing electronics content within new vehicles, especially electric, will only further imbalance demand and supply. However, a closer alignment of the automotive and semiconductor sectors aims to improve planning and forecasting, easing bottlenecks and reducing the risk of production stoppages in the future.
Join this session to understand how the global and European semiconductor manufacturing landscape is evolving as experts share insights on the investment plans of the leading chip manufacturers, capacity forecasts and the longer-term implications of regionalisation and the European CHIPS Act on automotive supply chains. Hear how semiconductor materials and equipment suppliers, chip makers and system houses are collaborating towards creating a more resilient and robust supply chain. Learn why carmakers need to come to the table to contribute to solutions, and how new supply chain models, developed collectively across segments, will help mitigate the next crisis.

Rising costs and pressure in the supply chain have underlined the importance of increasing efficiency in logistics, especially packaging and network fill rates. In many cases, the difference between planned utilisation and the actual level is the equivalent of many more containers and trucks. That is why manufacturers and logistics providers are putting more focus on engineering and allocating the right packaging assets early in programme planning, and in tracking freight consolidation across the supply chain.

In this session, logistics and packaging experts will discuss objectives and innovations for improving overall packaging and network utilisation, including in container and rack management, tracking and visibility, early logistics planning and partnership opportunities.

Ro-ro services have long-offered reliable, lower emission logistics solutions for global and regional vehicle distribution, but whilst vehicle production has been gradually growing post-Covid and volumes flowing through major trade lanes such as China-Europe are set for a significant increase, the vessels that ro-ro operators scrapped or laid up during the pandemic have not been replaced. Capacity constraints have hit critical levels, and ageing equipment utilising traditional, more polluting fuels along with new IMO regulations are fuelling the need for investment in equipment, innovation in alternative fuels and collaboration to standardise emission tracking to propel the industry forward into an era of reliable, zero carbon logistics.

Join this session to get the latest intelligence on ro-ro capacity trends and investment plans, understand the viability and timelines for alternative fuel services, and hear about the latest sector-wide initiatives improving CO2 emission accuracy and transparency, keeping the industry on course to reach its sustainability goals.

In the face of transport capacity shortage, visibility is becoming the most important currency in European vehicle logistics, with data at the heart of a transparent network and critical to utilising full capacity and avoiding wasteful backhauls and improving ETAs.

In this session, learn more about the tools and innovations that OEMs and logistics providers are implementing to improve real-time tracking, from vehicle telematics to better planning and communication systems across the supply chain and with LSPs, so that they can better meet customer expectations. Understand how digital planning and capacity systems are also helping OEMs and mobility players to make a seamless transition to new business and distribution models, including online sales, direct deliveries and subscription services.

Volatile markets and supply continue to make production, logistics and distribution planning more challenging than ever. To meet the expectations of all stakeholders – from plants to suppliers to dealers – manufacturers and their partners are adapting supply chain and production decisions, re-evaluating systems, and realigning with partners to meet changing objectives. This is leading to new manufacturing, logistics and inventory strategies, and prioritisation of key material and capacity.

In this session, learn how logistics leaders are increasingly focused on the tools, processes and organisation that they need to create production and supply chains that are as resilient and integrated as they are flexible. Learn about the technology and partnerships that are helping the European automotive industry go with the flow, and understand how carmakers and suppliers are undergoing cultural transformations to better align and improve visibility between supply chain divisions, enable efficient prioritisation of parts across production, maximise capacity across trade lanes and create more agile operations to meet enterprise and customer needs.