The Best Quotes from Trends in Automotive Logistics (TAL 2026)

---

The time of trends is over, the time of robots is here, and AI is no longer just tomorrow’s promise. At Trends in Automotive Logistics, heard people share their experiences from their work at SAP ČR, Škoda Auto, Amazon, AUTODESK and more – from the strategic adoption of AI to end-to-end production management and the automation of logistics processes. We’ve chosen the quotes that best illustrate where the industry is headed and what companies should ask themselves if they want to build systems that will withstand an environment of uncertainty.

“I feel like trends in logistics don't exist anymore. All that applies today is constant pressure on prices: what cost ten yesterday has to cost nine today and eight tomorrow.” Those were the slightly theatrical opening words from Aimtec’s Supply Chain Solutions Director Rostislav Schwob. Fortunately, he went on to paint a picture of a future in which companies can deal with this. “You won’t have just one information system anymore. A clean core, with surrounding integrated systems handling the rest. And then every part can be replaced at any time.”

AI is transforming planning and operational decisions

“If you want to get started with AI, you have to lay the foundations today. If you want the full benefits of AI automation, you have to break down process silos and think in the broader context,” stated Autodesk Director Design & Manufacturing Midmarket Central Europe Markus Speiser, who presented several specific examples of savings powered by AI and digital twins.

“The moment you reduce warehouse stocks to the smallest possible level, systems become fragile. That makes them extremely sensitive to outages of any kind,” warned Managing Director SAP ČR Hana Součková. She added that this is, however, a great opportunity to deploy AI, which highlights connections throughout a logistics organisation.

“Our system plans about three months ahead. I won’t be lying if I say we basically know today what you’ll be buying tomorrow,” explained Amazon BRQ2 General Manager Jan Vavřík. Amazon constantly optimises its routes using AI that’s been trained on delivery history – 75% of orders today are assisted by AI.

How technology has solved a specific problem

“Bolted joints are a basic building block of passive safety in traditional cars. For every joint, we need to know whether it was really completed on a specific vehicle in compliance with requirements. So we needed a comprehensive solution that, besides handling hundreds of thousands of tightenings a day, also offers flexibility when introducing new processes,” said Škoda Auto Senior Manager in Car Production Pavel Maryško. “Real-time control lets us show operators the current status of the tools, as well as repair processes using electronically controlled tools in the assembly-line flow.”

“I was expecting that AMR deployment would take months, but in the end it took three to four weeks. So don’t be scared of it and dive right in,” said Shape Corp Plant Manager Karel Kepka. In the Idealworks project, not a single AMR collision has occurred since launch – and noise levels have even been reduced. Employees no longer have to use hearing protection, which is a very welcome change.

“The system has to grow or shrink with us based on changes in our needs,” noted Magna Exteriors Assistant General Manager Christoph Scheufler, providing further real-world insight. Together with Noyes Technologies, Magna implemented a project with a nine-month ROI and a 71% increase in storage space in the production area, with the aim of eliminating wasted airspace – by adding a mezzanine and integrating new warehousing technologies.

Plenty of paperwork in the clouds

“What happens up there when you hit the sound barrier? Nothing. First the female voice in the cockpit announces: Transonic, transonic. And then: Supersonic, supersonic. You get a little warning, because if you break the sound barrier accidentally, that’s a lot of paperwork,” said the final speaker, Martin Šonka, a Czech aerobatic pilot who formerly flew for the Czech Air Force, lifting our thoughts from logistics to even more interesting heights.