“Carbon Neutrality and Mobility of the Future” was the motto of the congress held on October 15, 2024, which took place this year in Munich. The automotive cluster automotiveland.nrw has been a partner of this annual exchange format since 2017.
Among the prominent speakers at the congress were Qian ZHAI, Envoy of the Economic and Trade Section of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Germany, as well as Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, Director of the Center Automotive Research (CAR). Numerous entrepreneurs and technology developers from the automotive sector were also represented.
“We are pleased about the open, annual exchange,” said Stephan A. Vogelskamp, Managing Director of automotiveland.nrw. “Especially in times when it is difficult for our suppliers to find their bearings, these encounters with a country that is very advanced in the development of many new technologies are helpful. China pursues a clear strategy in the field of electromobility. It is important for us to maintain contact on equal footing and to establish a reliable exchange to identify trends from the Far East.”
In his lecture, Prof. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer pointed out Germany’s weaknesses in the field of electromobility. The risk of becoming an isolated island threatens, especially since the countries around us are pursuing a much more pronounced program on this topic. Dudenhöffer emphasized that expanding infrastructure is particularly important—a demand that automotiveland.nrw has repeatedly made.
At the congress, German and Chinese representatives alike spoke out against punitive tariffs on Chinese automobiles. A tariff war must be avoided at all costs.
Additionally, on the following day, the 10th Bavarian China Day was held at the Consulate General of the PR China in Munich. Since 2015, it has been organized for active economic exchange and to promote cooperation between the two countries. Participants included, among others, parts and component suppliers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). For next year, alongside the official congress in Changchun, PR China, a large event with VW in Wolfsburg and a “Bergisch China Day” are also planned to intensify the exchange between our supplier companies and Chinese OEMs.
The annual automotive congresses focus on exchanging current technological trends. Representatives from the state, companies, research institutes, economic policy, and developers from both countries have been involved since 2017. The first congress took place at the founding of the cooperation back then in Wuppertal. This format makes it possible to recognize current developments in China at an early stage—especially the rapid pace of innovative, competitively priced products in the field of electromobility in China is continuously monitored by automotiveland.nrw. In addition to the congress, numerous company visits take place. Around 500 participants attended this year. The Chinese partner of the congress format is the China International Investment Promotion Agency (CIIPA), an offshoot of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China in Germany.
Contact: Stephan A. Vogelskamp, +49 172 8723384