“People and data are worth their weight in gold.” The best quotes from the Trends in Automotive Logistics Conference 2024

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People, data and sustainability: these are the topics that resounded at the Trends in Automotive Logistics Conference 2024, subtitled Driving the Digital Fast Lane. How can you drive safely in digitalisation’s fast lane while still transforming quickly enough? Nearly 400 experts in logistics, manufacturing and IT from the European automotive sector came to the conference to explore this question. Ten inspiring speakers rotated on the stage throughout the day. What were the most interesting quotes at this conference? Read our picks below.

It’s not enough to just innovate; you need to innovate fast enough, asserted Roman Žák, co-founder of the conference organiser Aimtec, making a nod to the conference subtitle “Driving the Digital Fast Lane” while also emphasising digitalisation’s biggest challenge. He additionally pointed to the importance of sustainability – not only in the environmental sense, but also in terms of business continuity. Preserving this continuity is a growing challenge in light of the market’s dynamic development.

People, people, people

We are seeing a decade of changes, technologies are developing faster than ever, and new challenges await us around every corner. What do this year’s speakers see as truly important for a successful digital transformation? Technologies are essential for digitalisation, but people are what’s most important, emphasised Prof. Dr. Nils Finger from CBS International Business School. In his presentation, he also highlighted company culture and strategy, recalling the famous quote Culture eats strategy for breakfast.

If you’re facing the question of how to get started with digitalisation, Michael Colberg from REHAU Automotive has some advice: Just do it! Don’t wait, stay pragmatic, work gradually from a small project to a comprehensive solution and don’t forget communication and company culture.

Once you get started with digitalisation, you need to stick with it. Martin Vilím from AISIN Europe Manufacturing Czech has his share of experience here. His advice is: You need to get a good night’s sleep at least sometimes!

Data, AI and simulations

Data’s worth its weight in gold! We have to collect data, we have to believe in data collection and we have to trust our data, stated Michal Fichtner from Continental Automotive. He also spoke on the value of a change “mindset”, without which digitalisation project implementation is tough indeed. He sees worries as the greatest barrier, and he notes: Fear is the biggest killer of progress!

One factor that can support progress, on the other hand, is artificial intelligence, for which data is essential. AI, in the business context, must be relevant (integrated into core business processes), reliable (grounded within the truth of your business data), and responsible (addressing ethics, data privacy and data security), says Carlos Portillo from SAP, who came to TAL to explain how artificial intelligence can assist business.

Solution simulation is a powerful tool amidst the growing complexity of digitalisation projects. Here as well, you cannot get by without data. Simulate – it makes sense! says Tomáš Sauer from FORVIA HELLA. He shared his experience with FlexSim, simulation software that lets companies verify early on in a project whether a considered solution meets expectations.

Cybersecurity, sustainability and well-being

It’s essential today to also include cybersecurity in every discussion. Wojtek Szczepucha from Amazon Web Services spoke on how the cloud enables secure and sustainable growth. Dance like nobody’s watching. Encrypt like everyone is, he urged, quoting AWS CTO Dr. Werner Vogels.

What kind of an automotive conference would TAL be if nobody discussed electromobility, and specifically the sustainability of automotive batteries? Lukas Brandl from BLC – The Battery Lifecycle Company – spoke on just this. It’s a sort of Schrödinger’s cat, Lukas noted while explaining how at BLC they never know in advance the status of a battery that needs repair or replacement.

Michal Samuelčík from Replug me – which specialises in finding a balanced approach to technology use – enriched us all with a refreshing viewpoint on a sustainable digitalisation tempo. Michal compared work with technologies to driving a car. If we try to drive too far, too fast, we forget that we have boundaries, which can lead all the way to a crash, he warned and provided some steps for preventing burnout.

From data to gold

At the end of the conference, the two-time world cyclocross champion Zdeněk Štybar surprised us all with a revelation: I’ve ridden about 700,000 km on my bike.  He confirmed that data is just as important in sport as it is everywhere. Data uplifts performance and condition both for individuals and in cycling overall.

Did any of TAL’s topics catch your eye? We’re preparing videos and side interviews from the TAL 2024 conference for you right now. Subscribe to Aimtec Insights, and you’ll never miss a new article.

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