2024 Conference Programme

EV batteries are not only critical to the performance and value of next-generation vehicles, but they are reshaping the European automotive supply chain, from raw material sourcing to the need to manage unstoppable production. Manufacturers and partners must bring this technology into serial production quickly to protect Europe’s position in the global value chain – even as technology and chemistries evolve, and growth rates remain uncertain. For those entering the race, effective supply chain management will be a critical competitive advantage.

Despite the challenges, however, having a strong logistics setup will give companies every opportunity to succeed. One player gearing up to prove this is PowerCo, the Volkswagen Group’s battery cell manufacturer, which is building up its first gigafactory in Salzgitter, Germany and further plants in Spain and Canada. Matching the speed of its growth will be highly digital and transparent logistics and supply chain management processes.

In a special cocktail evening fireside chat during the Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Europe cocktail reception, PowerCo’s Matthias Braun will share insights into the innovation, technology and talent keeping the company’s supply chain and logistics on track. Take your drink to power up and join this fireside to understand just how fast the logistics industry will need to move.

Join our cocktail reception discussion to learn:
•Competitive factors in battery logistics
•Data and logistics changes to match unstoppable battery production
•The mix of partnerships and vertical integration needed in the industry
•The mindset, talent and continuous learning that will define battery supply chains

Automotive logistics underpins the ability of European and global manufacturers to mitigate successive crises and to manage variations and uncertainty in the supply chain, from extreme weather to sudden changes in demand. Simultaneously, holistic, connected logistics and material management is fundamental to improving financial results, fulfilling customer expectations and meeting strategic objectives. Manufacturers that find the right balance of effective planning, visibility and partnership in its supply chain management will provide them a decisive edge.

Our opening keynote and panel will set the tone for ALSC Europe 2024. Hear from Volkswagen Group’s deputy managing director Oliver Bronder on how the carmaker has used synergies, digitalisation and partnership to mitigate disruption and overcome logistics capacity challenges, especially in vehicle logistics, and look ahead to important transformation and regulations.

The keynote will be followed by a dynamic panel including JLR and logistics experts that will explore how to implement effective logistics management, material fulfillment and vehicle distribution to improve resiliency and gain competitive advantages.

In this session you’ll learn more about:
• Group Logistics’ role in Volkswagen Group’s transformation and global supply chain development, including new brands and plants, battery supply chains, vehicle logistics and more.
• Crisis management and resilience in supply chain management – mitigation tactics and proactive management of recent and ongoing crisis, from reducing material disruption, mitigating the impact of the Red Sea crisis to managing logistics and supplier capacity planning across the European supply chain.
• Advancing digital competencies and leveraging new system capabilities and technology for greater visibility, automation and control in material logistics, fulfillment and vehicle logistics.
• Long-term strategic planning for the supply chain, such as capacity investment, partner management, sustainability and electrification.

Europe’s automotive supply chain leaders and organisations must not only be ready for change, they need to be out ahead of it. To stay competitive, manufacturers and logistics providers must run logistics with greater efficiency than ever, including automating non-value-added operations and digitalising processes and data across the supply chain. Meanwhile, a green supply chain is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but is increasingly central to meet regulatory changes, eliminate unnecessary waste and emissions in transport, packaging and equipment, as well as to meet long-term commitments.

Such transformation is centre stage in this session. In a keynote from Audi’s Torsten Müller, learn how the OEM is accelerating automation, digitalisation and sustainability across logistics management. And in a wide-ranging expert panel, understand how OEMs, suppliers and logistics providers are taking steps to transform logistics, and using key data and visibility to reduce complexity and steer wider supply chain design and enterprise decisions.

Join this session and learn more about:
• How Audi is transforming its supply chain management with focus on logistics automation, digitalisation and sustainability
• How automotive players must balance efficiency and lean with the need to maintain greater resilience
• Challenges in implementing change, including technology, inventory management and investment costs
• How changing supply chains for great efficiency and sustainability requires enterprise-wide coordination, including in engineering and purchasing

This interactive session is designed to help women advance further in the automotive supply chain industry through learning, networking, and professional growth. Gain valuable perspectives on overcoming challenges, excelling individually and building supportive and thriving teams. Hear directly from influential and inspirational women logistics leaders on their personal journeys, lessons learnt and visions for the future before connecting with like-minded professionals, industry experts, and potential mentors in a series of short one-on-one networking rounds.

What was once reliable supply and demand cycles with isolated disruptions have today been replaced with near-constant crisis, from geopolitical events and wars, extreme weather and natural disasters to severe market uncertainties, supplier fragility and changes in automotive OEMs’ business models. Whilst logistics and supply chain teams have become more adept at managing multiple crisis, the industry is still largely reactive to unplanned events and continues to rely on traditional, often manual and labour-intensive practises to solve unprecedented and complex challenges.

In this interactive workshop, hear from experts, share your ideas and learn from peers as the group uses real-world, recent supply chain disruption case studies to challenge and improve crisis management practises and enhance supply chain resiliency:
• Hear how automotive manufacturers are developing more resilient supply chains by improving scenario planning and risk management strategies
• Understand the cost and delivery time benefits of proactively developing and implementing creative logistics solutions, including alternatives to scheduled modes of replenishment, early on
• Challenge the standard logistics crisis response procedures and inventory management, and identify how to increase control of unforeseen supply chain emergencies
• Increase your emergency preparedness, identifying the tools and communication strategies to streamline decision making

Automotive packaging has a key role to play in the decarbonisation of the supply chain and the right packaging strategies, flows and designs can also help logistics leaders significantly reduce costs. However, until now, a lack of standardisation for cost and emissions calculations within the European packaging sector has resulted in manufacturers deploying a myriad of packaging strategies and difficulties assessing the true sustainability and cost savings potential of adopting lightweight returnable packaging solutions. Hear from packaging specialists and providers in this interactive workshop that will aim to level the playing field for the automotive packaging sector, homogenising how European packaging freight costs and CO2 emissions are calculated and reported.

Europe’s automotive industry is increasingly competitive and requires razor-sharp focus on efficiency, performance and cost. However, that does not mean that vehicle manufacturers, suppliers and logistics providers cannot find ways to work together that can help both sides benefit in different ways – but it does take close communication, trustful relationships and a willingness to make changes, together.

Join this session to learn how manufacturers, suppliers and partners are taking new and unorthodox steps to achieve ‘win-wins’ in quality, productivity, sustainability and cost. Building on discussion from Automotive Logistics & Supply Chain Europe in 2023, companies including JLR and Plastic Omnium will discuss clear progress, plans and challenges in finding new ways to work together to improve supply chain and logistics operations for both, especially in areas like sustainability. Understand as well how logistics partners can also help mutual customers to take these collaborations to a new level.

• Multi-faceted, multi-stakeholder and cross-functional types of collaboration happening, including across OEMs, tier-N suppliers and logistics providers
• Opportunities for working together to share common transport, packaging and consolidation across the supply chain
• The technology and personal relationships needed to forge such partnerships and trust
• Risk mitigation in procurement and supply chain design
• Examples will be shared to show and track real progress, with follow up to discuss after the event – showing action and results.

As automotive manufacturers transform supply chains to ramp up electrification and reduce emissions, they want to shape operations to be flexible and agile enough to remain stability, quality and costs. That requires visibility not only of production plans, transport capacity, or supplier inventory, but a full view of how this ecosystem links together and the ripple effects of any changes across the global network, whether sudden supplier issues or geopolitical shifts. Achieving that means making the best use of digitalisation tools and innovations, as well as putting strategic supply chain management at the heart of leadership, decision making and collaboration.

This session will explore how automotive manufacturers are building end-to-end resilience, including in enhanced supply chain planning and engineering, supplier management, digitalisation, and operational excellence right through to final customer delivery. It will feature insight from top innovators who are reinventing their supply chain organisation to integrate manufacturing and procurement, building close relations with critical suppliers, investing hugely in training and working with advanced digital planning and AI tools to spot potential disruption and new opportunities far in advance.

Join this session to learn more about what it takes to build more resilient, sustainable and flexible supply chains across Europe and globally, including long-term planning and co-creation across partners. It will also explore how leaders can inspire their teams, partners and new talent to build the future supply chain, together.

• Developing cross-functional supply chain and logistics planning
• Digital tools for visibility, predictability and compliance across complex supply chains
• Adapting to different supply chain requirements
• Risk mitigation in procurement and supply chain design
• Ensuring cost performance and competitiveness

Get a deeper understanding of the European automotive logistics market with in-depth insight and analysis from Automotive Logistics’ business intelligence leader, Daniel Harrison. In this session, receive an exclusive preview of the latest European Automotive Logistics Market Report 2024-2034, including market forecasts by logistics mode and logistics type, detailed market share evaluations for parts and vehicle logistics providers across rail, road, ocean and air, plus expert analysis of key market drivers and disruptors, with conclusions & strategic recommendations.

Today's logistics and supply chain leaders must simultaneously nurture and challenge partners, providers and suppliers to create a thriving ecosystem that operates seamlessly and drives collective competitiveness, network optimisation, sustainability and digital advancements.

In this session, hear from leading decision makers and experts in strategic supply chain and logistics management on how to balance supply, demand, capacity and long-term objectives in Europe's supply chain. In a keynote, Jean-Christophe Deville will share how stronger partnerships are underpinning Toyota’s supply chain advancements in Europe. He will then be joined by experts in supply planning, S&OP and digitalisation to explore the strategies and tools needed to manage disruption and transformation, the changing nature of logistics and supplier partnerships, and the necessary mindset for an ‘All in, all win’ supply chain that will give players across automotive logistics and operations a decisive edge.

Join this keynote and panel to learn more about:
• Tools and strategies to mitigate crisis and improve supply chain performance
• Network optimisation and supply chain design
• Meeting sustainable and green logistics targets
• Digitalisation and advanced planning opportunities
• OEM-supplier-LSP relationships fit for the future

Moving from pilot projects to implementation of green logistics requires a strong focus on innovation, holistic goals across an organisation, and a willingness to invest in the long-term and support partners. In this interactive session, logistics leaders from Mercedes-Benz and JLR will first share their targets, ambitions and challenges in sustainable logistics. That will then lead into a workshop where participants will actively discuss the best ways to work together with stakeholders to bring sustainable technology into operation in areas of freight logistics, vehicle logistics and shipping. Together with participants in working groups, it will explore co-investment, partnerships and support required from senior management and industry stakeholders. Join logistics leaders and sustainability specialists to learn and share your challenges and ambition, and to inspire and be inspired as the group identifies how the industry can align on common goals in scaling logistics sustainability, without compromising customer satisfaction or competitiveness. Active working groups from the session will be encouraged to continue exchange after the event and share further progress later in 2024 and at future events.

As the European market embraces electrification, carmakers, battery suppliers and the service parts supply chain must plan and prepare to serve the growing EV consumer base despite considerable uncertainty. Whilst EVs can have around 30% fewer parts than ICE vehicles, the storage and handling of high-value batteries and specialised components, and rapidly evolving battery chemistries and European regulatory landscape, will force aftersales logistics leaders and providers to significantly adapt competencies, processes, demand planning and inventory management strategies.

In this interactive workshop, hear from fellow aftersales experts, share your ideas and learn from peers as the group deep-dives the core challenges that need addressing and critical actions needed to create an efficient, standardised, competitive and compliant service parts sector for the electric era. In this session discuss and debate:
• Battery monitoring and replacement battery demand forecasting
• Safety and compliance implications for new and damaged battery storage, handling and logistics
• How design for repair strategies and closed loop battery supply chains will impact the aftersales logistics network
• What rapidly shifting battery technologies and chemistries mean for all-time-buy aftersales models and sector standardisation

Essential intelligence: Emissions calculation and reporting guideline for automotive supply chains
Hear how the new guidelines, created by European manufacturers and logistics service providers in collaboration with the VDA and ECG, can support automotive companies by providing a more precise and standardised approach to calculating and reporting transport emissions, and affording logistics leaders and decision makers fair and equitable comparisons on emissions among and between trade lanes, logistics flows and transport modes.

Speaker: Andreea Serbu, Senior Manager, External Affair, ECG

Leveraging intermodal logistics to decarbonise freight transport
In the race to carbon-free supply chains, carmakers and logistics providers must explore every opportunity to reduce emissions, including greater use of rail and intermodal strategies. Hear from rail freight specialists HELROM on how new rail wagon technologies and equipment can improve connections between road and rail freight, increasing intermodal opportunities and thus generating more carbon emission savings.

Speaker: Roman Noack , Co-founder & CEO, HELROM GmbH

Closing the EV battery loop: return, reuse, recycle
The emergence of electric vehicles has created new supply chains and introduced new players into the automotive ecosystem. As Europe’s carmakers race to establish reliable supply and flows of critical raw materials, new components and assembled batteries, logistics and supply chain leaders must also develop robust, competitive and safe end-of-life practises that contribute to sustainability goals, minimise cost and align with technical standards and dangerous goods regulations.

Europe’s regulatory landscape for moving, reusing and recycling EV batteries and hazardous materials is evolving at pace, amplifying the need to establish closed loop supply chains whilst remaining compliant in a complex and changing environment. Learn from end-of-life battery experts on the latest European battery regulations and explore the challenges of managing end-of-life logistics, including the latest battery recycling efficiency and material recovery targets and new logistics requirements for waste lithium-ion battery disposal and vehicle recalls.

Speaker: Carola Krause, Senior Product and Business Development Manager EMEA, TES Sustainable Battery Solutions

The commercial vehicle sector is undergoing radical transformation, investing in lower emission technologies, enhanced safety features and digital capabilities designed to minimise vehicle downtime and optimise efficiency. Such large-scale change and investment requires commercial vehicle manufacturers to minimise costs and maximise competencies and excellence across the enterprise and its brands, with manufacturers increasingly viewing efficient logistics and effective supply chain management as an area that can make a significant contribution.

In this session, hear how the TRATON Group is developing a new global organisation for its brands’ logistics functions that will improve efficiency, reduce costs, optimise and standardise processes, and reduce the carbon footprint of the group. In this special keynote, Fabio Castello will share his vision for TRATON's integrated global logistics organisation and offer unique insights into the supply chain complexities, barriers and strategies of the Group's brands.

Carmakers and suppliers in Europe remain under multiple pressures to control costs, minimise disruption and stabilise supply chains even in the face of market, climate and geopolitical volatility. Manufacturers require more flexibility than ever so that they might 'perform whilst transforming.' In response, supply chain leaders are adapting new technologies, digitalising processes, deepening logistics partnerships and evolving the strategic role of their supply chain functions.

In this session, in a keynote from Dr Michael Nikolaides, hear how BMW is steering its supply chain to high performance even amongst rising uncertainty. He will then be joined by supply chain leaders including from Toyota, high-performance OEM Aston Martin and expedite specialist Ascent Global Logistics to discuss and debate processes, tools and organisational strategies required to help European automotive manufacturing to remain competitive, and how logistics can be used further as a critical advantage in the years ahead.