FRANKFURT, Germany – Automechanika Frankfurt 2014, which takes place Sept. 16-20, will offer attendees an extensive program of lectures covering a wide range of subjects. In brief lectures, approximately 50 renowned international speakers will discuss a variety of interesting topics.
ZEIT Automotive Conference
Organized in cooperation with Convent, a subsidiary of the ZEIT publishing group, this one-day conference is aimed primarily at representatives of politics, business and research and will be held on the eve of the fair, on Sept. 15. The subjects to be covered include automotive digitalization, as well as alternative powertrain systems, energy efficiency and battery technology. The conference will be held in Kap Europa, the new congress center at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre.
"Sought and Found! Recruiting Trainees for the Automobile Trade" is the title of the Automechanika 2014 Study by Prof. Georg Spöttl, Institute for Technology and Education (ITB), University of Bremen, and Prof. Matthias Becker, Vocational Training Institute for Work and Technology (BIAT), University of Flensburg. The study will be presented on the first day of the fair and followed by a panel discussion with representatives of research and business.
Connected Car
A themed day titled "1+1 = 3 – The Advantages of Internal and External Linkages for Automobiles," will be held Sept. 17. Particularly promising are the lectures by Stefan Schumacher, business development executive, IBM Germany on "Big Data and Connected Cars – Game-Changers for the Automotive Industry" and Jens Monsees of Google Germany, who will discuss new digital business models and their benefits for drivers.
Cutting CO2 Emissions
The motto on Sept. 18 is "Cutting CO2 Emissions Even More – Is It Worth the Effort?" The speakers will present a variety of sustainable technologies for tomorrow’s mobility, as well as talk about developments in emissions legislation, the sustainability of internal-combustion engines and natural gas as an alternative fuel. A panel discussion with Prof. Peter Gutzmer, director of research and development, Schaeffler AG, will seek answers to the question, “Carbon-Based Fuels – An Obsolescent Model?”
E-mobility
The focus on Sept. 19 will be on the question, "Electric Mobility – Is the Breakthrough About to Happen?" Among the topics to be discussed in this context will be electro traction at Volkswagen, aspects of energy storage technology and the use of hybrid drive systems in commercial vehicles. Additionally, there will be a panel discussion on "The Perfect Electric Automobile – Performance and Design in Harmony."
Damage Talk and Networking
Visitors from the body and paint segments can attend interesting lectures on process management and control, quality assurance in body and paint shops and the hurdles and challenges in the field of claim management on Sept. 18. Subsequently, there will be a networking opportunity.
Meeting of Body Repair Experts
"Does Steel Have a Future in Automobile Manufacturing?" is the subject of the meeting of body repair experts on Sept. 16. Organized by Vogel Business Media, the long-running Würzburg Bodywork and Collision Days will be held for the first time within the framework of the Automechanika Academy.
BVL Forum: Logistics in the Aftermarket
Logistics are also being included in the Automechanika Academy program. The Forum of the German Logistics Association (Bundesverband Logistik – BVL) on Sept. 17 will tackle the subject of, "Complexity in the Aftermarket – Logistical Challenges."
Car Dealership of the Future and Automobile Service Symposium
A series of lectures Sept. 17-19 will revolve around the car dealership of the future and the challenges facing it. On the Wednesday of the fair, the focus will be on "The Modern Car Dealership and the Balancing Act Between Online Trade and Customer-Friendly Workshop" with lectures on, among other things augmented reality – interactive service applications, remanufacturing and the reception dialogue. On Sept. 18, the spotlight shifts to "The Master Plan for Your Car Dealership – Calculations Made Easy" and, on Sept. 19, to "Quality in the Workshop – A Multi-Faceted Subject" at the Automobile Service Symposium.
Car Wash City: Lectures on Vehicle Cleaning
The "Vehicle Cleaning – Efficient, Safe and Clean" seminar program is aimed at car wash operators and will be held in a hall in the outdoor area of Car Wash City from Sept. 17-19. The lectures planned include "Water retreatment in vehicle-wash systems," "Customer Satisfaction in the Car Wash Business" and "Water Efficiency – EU Regulations on Resource Efficiency and the Impact on Vehicle Cleaning."
International "Collision Repair Process Management" Congress
The EU study on "Collision Repair Process Management" will be presented during the congress on Sept. 19. The project is the work of the University of Bremen Institute for Education and Technology under its director, Prof. Georg Spöttl, in cooperation with project partners from six European nations. Prof. Spöttl himself will discuss the aims and results of the project. The subjects to be covered in other lectures include the collision-damage market in Europe, the strategy of authorized collision-damage repair workshops in Germany and the future of CRPM in Europe.
Advance Registration for the Automechanika Academy
Visitors who register in advance for an event of the Automechanika Academy at academy.automechanika.com will be sent an admission-ticket voucher entitling them to visit Automechanika Frankfurt for a day free of charge.
More details on the times and locations of the lectures can be found at www.automechanika-frankfurt.com beginning in July.
