ALSC ASEAN 2026 - Day 1 Wrap up

After a packed Day 1 at the second edition of Automotive Logistics & Supply Chain ASEAN, Christopher Ludwig, chief content officer at Automotive Logistics and Ultima Media, reflected on a day full of insight, innovation and collaborative benchmarking.

Discussions throughout the opening day highlighted the immense growth potential across South-East Asia. However, speakers and delegates emphasised that realising this potential requires tackling deep-seated fragmentation, regulatory barriers, and cross-border logistics friction.

A consistent theme across the sessions was the contrast between the region's strong growth trajectory and the operational hurdles limiting its competitiveness. Marc Appelt at MAN Truck & Bus (M) Sdn Bhd, highlighted how varying vehicle certification costs, disparate local content requirements, and cross-border equipment decoupling, such as transferring truck trailers at the border with Thailand, add significant cost and friction, making it challenging to use single locations as seamless regional export hubs.

Similarly, Dominik Birth-Ruszczynski at Volkswagen Group Regional After Sales, pointed to the complexities of electric vehicle battery transport. Differing national hazardous goods storage and transport regulations across the 10 ASEAN nations fragment supply networks and prevent companies from achieving true economies of scale.

Despite these hurdles, industry leaders underscored the talent and drive within the local market. Julia Betz at Dräxlmaier Group, highlighted how the people and workforce in the region actively propel growth forward. Ludwig noted that while the regional automotive supply chain ecosystem lacks unified representation to policymakers, events like ALSC ASEAN provide the critical platform needed for OEMs, tier suppliers, and logistics providers to align priorities and voice collective needs.

“We're trying to create a platform where those specialised in logistics and supply chain management in Malaysia and South-East Asia can come together, understand their requirements, have messages shared to government and work together to unlock growth in this brilliant region,” Ludwig said.

Check out all content highlights from ALSC ASEAN here!