NextGen Auto International Summit China successfully concluded its third edition on 9 December 2014 at the Kerry Hotel in Pudong, Shanghai. The one-day Summit welcomed some of the world’s foremost experts in the auto industry to share their insights on market trends and innovative technologies.
Once again, the event was jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and the International Cooperation Centre of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The Summit was comprised of one main session in the morning and two afternoon tracks that gathered 14 professionals representing government bodies, industry associations and prominent commercial enterprises. A total of 386 delegates specialising in areas across the entire global automotive supply chain were in attendance.
Mr Richard Li, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, commented: “Even though the length of the Summit has reduced over the years, the ever-increasing number of delegates is a testament to NextGen Auto firmly establishing itself as an important event for automotive industry players, investors and policy makers. The event serves as an access point to opportunities offered by the growing market in China. I am pleased to have received substantial support and encouraging feedback from participants. It is with confidence that I believe the Summit will become an essential platform for sharing market intelligence and updates.”
Supporting the Summit’s theme of “Leading the Revolution in Auto Parts”, a prestigious lineup of speakers shared their insights on market trends and innovative technologies. Representatives from the Chinese government included Mr Zheng Huiqiang, Member of Standing committee of the National Committee of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); Mr Li Gang, Director-General of the Industry Coordination Division in NDRC; and Mr Xu Bingjin, President of the China-EU Association and Former Vice Minister of Ministry of Commerce. Fellow speaker, Mr Liu Jianhua, Director of the Promotion Office of New Energy Automotive from the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, also spoke about how new energy vehicles are promoted and brought into the community.
In addition to government representatives, the Summit featured guest speakers from renowned international and domestic brands, such as BMW, Tesla, Volvo, SAIC Motor and BAIC Motor. First-time speaker at the Summit, Dr Guohua Qiu, the Auto-body Development Director of Automotive Engineering Center in SAIC Motor, spoke about the company’s new energy automobile development strategy and plans. He commented: “NextGen Auto International Summit China is an excellent platform for idea exchange, particularly in the high-end automotive industry. The Summit is well-attended with a lot of industry elites, and together we interact to study possible solutions for the most talked-about issues regarding new energy technologies and materials in next-generation vehicles. It was beneficial to my business and it is a very good activity.”
Commenting on his experience, Mr Shawn Gao, Director of Public Policy and Charging Infrastructure at Tesla Motors China, shared the same sentiment. He said: “I am pleased to have met some important government policy makers at the Summit. They talked about the policy orientation in the industry which is crucial to the future development of electric vehicles. Through the Summit, I noticed that there is more attention on our industry, and I am delighted to have found some potential investors here. This is a good platform to share my company’s supporting systems for electric vehicles, and interact with other companies about setting the industry standard. I hope we can make some breakthroughs together in the market environment so more companies can get involved in the development of electric vehicles.”
Volkswagen is well-established in Shanghai. This year, the company sent its local representative, Mr Zhenjie Qiu, Senior Manager in Product Process System and Information System, to the Summit to present on the topic of “Making Cars in the Way of Internet Thinking”. Mr Qiu was pleased with the overall results and stated: “I attended the Summit last year as a delegate and am delighted to come again as a speaker in 2014. The overall planning and arrangements are well beyond my expectations. After my presentation, I met a lot of auto parts enterprises and OEMs who are interested to learn more about Volkswagen. I am very happy to share my experience and knowledge with them since this is certainly helpful to my business.”
For returning delegate, Mr Dongrong Xu, Business Strategy Department Manager at Mitsubishi Materials (Shanghai) Corporation, NextGen Auto Summit provided positive outlook on the development of electric car technologies. He noted: “I believe that the potential for e-mobility is very high, and that is why I am here to acquire updates on related technologies and market news from various leading brands. The Summit is helpful as it also addresses the supporting government policies.”
Ms Elena Kaplun, Business Development professional for ThyssenKrupp System Engineering GmbH in Germany, attended the Summit for the first time and found the wealth of industry insight and direct access to prominent industry players helpful. She shared: “I am here particularly for gaining a deeper understanding about the Chinese automotive market. I am also interested in topics on new energy vehicles and lightweight automotive technologies. The topics were well presented, and very useful for market research and planning business development strategy. The event also offered remarkable networking opportunities with associated speakers who represented preeminent industry players such as Tesla, BMV and SAIC Motor. I am interested in attending the event again!”
NextGen Auto International Summit China 2014 was held in conjunction with Automechanika Shanghai, Asia’s largest event for auto parts, accessories, equipment and services. For more information regarding the Summit and admission fee, please e-mail nextgenauto@china.messefrankfurt.com; or visit www.nextgenautosummit-china.com.