SlovenčinaConference is divided into two days. On the first day, there will be a conference and evening networking programme prepared for you. On the day two, we will continue with the conference program in the morning. The event ends with lunch.
- Specialists sharing their experience
- Inspiration from automotive industry experts
- New contacts and networking
- Evening raut
How it will run
After opening the conference on Tuesday morning, we will start the first lectures. Then, lunch will be served at the hotel restaurant. After the lunch break, we will continue with the next set of lectures. If you find it difficult to concentrate you may welcome regular coffee breaks for your refreshment. After the last lecture, you will have some time to rest. An evening raut will take place in the nearby restaurant Talska bastion with the opportunity for informal networking.
Second day, after breakfast, the conference will continue with interesting lectures and panel discussions. Lunch will be served at the restaurant of Hotel Partizan.
*conference program is subject to change
May, 26th (Tuesday)
from 8:30 Registration
Registration and badge collection
Registration will start on day one of the conference at 8:30 AM at the hotel Partizan lobby and will continue until lunch. After lunch on the first day, the registration of participants will be possible at the info booth in the conference foyer on the first floor.
09:30 - 09:40 Conference opening
Alexander Matušek
President, Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak republic
He heads the External Relations / Environment / Social Services department at Volkswagen Slovakia, a.s. In the past, he was responsible for the management of the entire logistics at Volkswagen Slovakia and also held several management positions within the Volkswagen Group in Portugal and the USA. Since 2018, he is the President of the Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic (second term). In 2018, he was elected Vice President of the Federation of Slovak Industrial and Transport Associations.
Ivan Hodáč
Event host, founder of Aspen Institute Central Europe, former ACEA Secretary-General
Ivan Hodač is a Founder and President of the Aspen Institute Prague. He was Secretary-General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) from 2001 until October 2013. He is the Chairman of the Board at cabinet DN. The Financial Times listed him among the most influential personalities in Brussels politics. Before joining ACEA, he was Senior Vice-President and Head of the Time Warner Corporate office for Europe. Previously he was Secretary-General of the trade organization IFMA/IMACE, Senior Economist at Didier & Associates, and Assistant Professor at the College of Europe, Bruges. He was born in Prague, where he studied mechanical engineering. He completed his education in economics and political science at the University of Copenhagen and the College of Europe in Bruges (European studies).
09:40 - 10:10 Geopolitical Disruptions and Their Impact on Europe
Ondřej Krutílek
Member of the European Parliament
10:10 - 11:10 The competitiveness of the European automotive industry – panel discussion
Alexander Matušek
President, Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak republic
He heads the External Relations / Environment / Social Services department at Volkswagen Slovakia, a.s. In the past, he was responsible for the management of the entire logistics at Volkswagen Slovakia and also held several management positions within the Volkswagen Group in Portugal and the USA. Since 2018, he is the President of the Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic (second term). In 2018, he was elected Vice President of the Federation of Slovak Industrial and Transport Associations.
Juraj Nociar
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the European Union
Slovak diplomat and ambassador Juraj Nociar, a native of central Slovakia, has served as the Permanent Representative at the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the EU in Brussels since October 1, 2024. This is already his third posting to this position. Previously, he worked for 15 years at the European Commission as Head of Cabinet to the Slovak European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, and in the past he held several managerial positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Throughout his entire professional career, he has focused on European affairs.
Juraj Valachy
Economic Analyst, Tatra banka
He has been working at Tatra banka since 2006, with a three-year break. In his work, he focuses on analyses of the macroeconomic development of Slovakia and the euro area, as well as the banking sector. Between 2021 and 2024, he served as Director of the Institute for Financial Policy at the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic. He completed his PhD studies in economics at the Prague-based institute CERGE-EI.
11:10 - 11:45 Networking break
Congress foyer
11:45 - 12:15 New Icon from Bratislava: Transforming Toward E Mobility in a Multibrand Plant
Wolfram Kirchert
Chairman of the Board of Directors and member of the Board of Directors for the technical area, Volkswagen Slovakia
Wolfram Kirchert is a graduate engineer and a graduate engineer in economics, he worked for the Porsche brand for 25 years. He has extensive professional experience in the field of production and project management, having worked in various management positions, including from 2002 as Head of Outsourced Manufacturing Management, from 2003 as Project Manager for Boxster/Cayman Product Line Production and from 2012 as Head of Project Planning vehicles and plant structure. Since 2018, as head of production planning, he has been responsible for product and process planning across all Porsche plants and product lines. In September 2023, he joined Volkswagen Slovakia as chairman of the board and member of the board of directors for the technical area.
The Volkswagen Slovakia site in Bratislava has launched a new era of electromobility. Building on more than a decade of experience in electric vehicle production, it is taking the integration of electric SUV models to a new level. Don’t miss an exclusive case study on the integration of the electric Porsche Cayenne into the production of a multibrand plant.
12:15 - 12:45 Lecture
Maria Grazia Davino
Regional Managing Director, BYD Europe
Maria Grazia Davino is Regional Director at BYD Europe, where she leads the company’s expansion across 10 key European markets. With over a decade of leadership experience in the industry, she has held CEO and senior executive commercial roles across multiple countries, driving sales, marketing, and large-scale business transformation. Known for her strategic mindset and results-driven leadership, she now plays a pivotal role in accelerating BYD’s growth and localization strategy in Europe’s rapidly evolving electric mobility landscape
12:45 - 14:00 Lunch
Hotel Partizan Restaurant
14:00 - 15:00 OEM and Tier 1 Supplier Perspectives on Global Changes in the Automotive Industry – Panel Discussion
Wolfram Kirchert
Chairman of the Board of Directors and member of the Board of Directors for the technical area, Volkswagen Slovakia
Wolfram Kirchert is a graduate engineer and a graduate engineer in economics, he worked for the Porsche brand for 25 years. He has extensive professional experience in the field of production and project management, having worked in various management positions, including from 2002 as Head of Outsourced Manufacturing Management, from 2003 as Project Manager for Boxster/Cayman Product Line Production and from 2012 as Head of Project Planning vehicles and plant structure. Since 2018, as head of production planning, he has been responsible for product and process planning across all Porsche plants and product lines. In September 2023, he joined Volkswagen Slovakia as chairman of the board and member of the board of directors for the technical area.
Kai Lücke
Senior Vice President Corporate Communications, Marketing & External Affairs, ZF Friedrichshafen
Miroslav Janota
Head of Subregion Slovakia, Czech Republic and Eastern Europe, Schaeffler
15:00 - 15:30 The German Automotive Industry Under Pressure: How China Is Challenging a Proven Success Model
Martin Koers
Professor, Shenzhen Technology University, China
Dr. Martin Koers is Professor at Shenzhen Technology University (SZTU) in China and former Managing Director of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). With more than 25 years of experience in the automotive sector, he has worked across industry, policy, and academia, including positions at Ford of Europe. His current work focuses on the strategic transformation of the automotive industry with a main focus on China, particularly in the context of geopolitical shifts and intensifying international competition.
15:30 - 16:15 Networking break
Congress foyer
16:15 - 16:45 Volvo Car Košice Status Update
Marc Gombeer
Plant Manager, Volvo Car Košice
Innovation in manufacturing today means not only changing cars but also changing the way we approach the future of mobility and sustainability. At Volvo Car Košice, we are building a plant that combines modern technologies, efficient processes, and a responsible approach to the environment. Our goal is to ensure that the production of premium, fully electric vehicles is carried out with an emphasis on sustainability and high quality. The Košice plant is also the result of the efforts of hundreds of people who push it forward every day. Today, we already have more than 600 employees. In the next phase, the plant will be capable of producing up to a quarter of a million fully electric vehicles per year, making it one of the significant manufacturing plants within Volvo Cars.
16:45 - 17:15 Automotive Industry Challenges & Responses
Petr Knap
Senior Advisor, EY
Petr Knap is a Senior Advisor at EY Consulting, supporting automotive industry initiatives and key clients across Central and Eastern Europe. With over 30 years of professional experience, he has worked with a diverse range of clients, including Aures Holdings, AutoWallis Group, BMW, CSG, Hyundai, Kia, Porsche CEE, Peugeot, PROMET Group, Schaeffler, ŠKODA AUTO, and Toyota.
Petr brings extensive expertise in strategy development, organizational change management process improvement, and industry analysis. He is deeply passionate about the future of the automotive sector and actively contributes to initiatives focused on digitalization, automation, e-mobility, regulatory frameworks, shared mobility, and autonomous vehicles.
Six major global megatrends are profoundly impacting the automotive industry, presenting both significant risks and promising opportunities. China is solidifying its position as the world’s automotive powerhouse, successfully leading in key technologies and scaling its national champions. Traditional players can enhance their competitiveness and prepare for the future by focusing on four key strategic responses.
17:15 - 17:30 Summary of the first conference day and invitation to the evening program
Ivan Hodáč
Event host, founder of Aspen Institute Central Europe, former ACEA Secretary-General
Ivan Hodač is a Founder and President of the Aspen Institute Prague. He was Secretary-General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) from 2001 until October 2013. He is the Chairman of the Board at cabinet DN. The Financial Times listed him among the most influential personalities in Brussels politics. Before joining ACEA, he was Senior Vice-President and Head of the Time Warner Corporate office for Europe. Previously he was Secretary-General of the trade organization IFMA/IMACE, Senior Economist at Didier & Associates, and Assistant Professor at the College of Europe, Bruges. He was born in Prague, where he studied mechanical engineering. He completed his education in economics and political science at the University of Copenhagen and the College of Europe in Bruges (European studies).
19:00 Evening Raut & Networking
Tálska bastion
May, 27th (Wednesday)
09:00 - 09:30 The Green Competitive Edge: Decisions Made Today Will Define the Future of the Automotive Industry in the Era of Binding EU Requirements
Michaela Hletková Ploszeková
Chairman of the Commission for Environmental Legislation, Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic
She is head of Environment Department at Volkswagen Slovakia. She has been involved in the application of environmental protection in car production for over 17 years – implementing the requirements of legislation and environmental management systems in production processes, design and implementation of environmental strategy or preparation of concepts and plans to reduce environmental impacts for environmental and energy-intensive technologies. As a chairman of the Environmental Legislation Commission of the Association of the Automotive Industry of the Slovak Republic, she prepares opinions and proposals for comments on the environmental legislation of the Slovak Republic and the EU. Since 2021, she has been active as a member of the Government Council for the Green European Agreement of the Slovak Republic for the Federation of Slovak Industrial and Transport Associations. She graduated in Environmental Protection / Geochemistry at the Faculty of Science, Comenius University in Bratislava, and later in the professional MBA program Automotive Industry of the Technical University of Vienna and the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava.
This lecture will provide a comprehensive overview of the latest environmental regulations in the European Union, including current changes under the Omnibus packages, key deadlines, and obligations we will face in the coming months. Participants will gain practical insights into how the timely implementation of these requirements can represent a significant strategic advantage within European competition, while also touching on global trends and developments in this field.
09:30 - 10:00 Product platforms as a key tool for standardization and competitiveness of modern manufacturing companies
Andrej Kršjak
global director of product platform development, Continental ContiTech
Andrej Krsjak is an experienced leader in research and development, with 20 years of experience in the automotive and general industrial sectors. He is currently responsible for the global strategic development of product platforms and for leading multidisciplinary teams. Over the long term, he focuses on innovation, efficient processes, and scalable solutions. He is known for his systematic approach, pragmatic leadership style, and strong emphasis on high technical quality.
In an environment of rapidly changing market demands and increasing portfolio complexity, the ability to efficiently standardize products is becoming one of the key success factors for industrial companies. Product platforms represent a systematic approach to building modular and reusable solutions that enable companies to reduce technical variability, shorten development time, and significantly streamline internal processes.
By unifying core building blocks across the portfolio, platforms allow for the consolidation of components, technologies, and know-how, leading to lower costs in development, industrialization, and operations. In addition to financial benefits, product platforms also support digitalization, automation, and the scaling of processes across manufacturing plants, thereby significantly enhancing their robustness and operational stability.
Ultimately, a platform-based approach strengthens competitive advantage—it enables faster responses to market opportunities, the flexible creation of customer-specific variants without increasing complexity, and the gradual transformation of the organization from a reactive to a proactive, strategically managed product development system. For companies aiming to succeed in the long term in global competition, product platforms are therefore becoming an essential pillar of future sustainability.
10:00 - 10:30 Škoda Auto – 130 Years of Innovation and Tradition
Martin Hrdlicka
Head of the Chassis and Powertain Development, ŠKODA Auto
The lecture offers an insight into the tradition and key competencies of Škoda Auto in the development of powertrain and chassis systems in the context of the current evolution of the automotive industry, taking into account current legislative requirements and the regulatory framework. The concluding section is dedicated to the world of Škoda Motorsport, which represents a combination of technical excellence, performance, and emotion.
10:30 - 11:15 Networking break
Congress foyer
11:15 - 11:45 Research and Development in Slovakia: How to Reduce Costs During a Period of Fiscal Consolidation Through Innovation
Marek Repko
Head of Operations Slovakia, Ayming Slovensko
Marek Repko is an expert in innovation financing and R&D tax deductions, an area he has been specializing in for more than eight years. He leads Ayming Slovakia and has experience with more than 4,200 projects that have helped companies achieve savings of over EUR 60 million. Marek is also a member of a working committee at the Government Office of the Slovak Republic, which contributes to drafting legislative proposals in the field of innovation financing and research and development activities.
Companies today are under significant cost pressure, while at the same time needing to innovate in order to remain competitive. Paradoxically, many of them leave substantial financial resources tied to their own R&D and innovation activities untapped. In addition to comparing R&D in Slovakia with the broader European landscape, we will also explore the practical application of R&D tax incentives through real-life case studies, providing participants with insights into how to connect innovation with strategic decision-making and how to identify and leverage potential within their own companies.
11:45 - 12:15 EU automotive industry at crossroads – key challenges for electrification and competitiveness
Petr Dolejší
Mobility & Sustainable Transport Director, ACEA
Petr Dolejsi started his career within the public services on different posts, leaving the Ministry for Regional Development of the Czech Republic at the Head of Unit post to the Permanent representation in Brussels in 2004. He became member of the Czech EU Presidency team in 2009 chairing the Competitiveness and Growth working party of the Council. In 2010 he joined ACEA and became a Director for Mobility and Sustainable transport, with a specific focus on CO2 policy, industrial policy and alternative powertrains. As from March 2022, he is also acting as a Vice-President of the Automotive Skills Alliance.
European automotive industry is facing perfect storm – from tough regulatory requirements, global trade turbulences, increasing protectionism to growing costs of decarbonisation. Central and Eastern Europe is heavily dependent on the automotive sector, what should be done and which tools to be used to safeguard production, jobs and competitiveness?
12:15 - 12:45 Lucifer in a Suit: The Anatomy of Power
Veronika Koišová
Managing Partner, inmetric
Experienced HR solutions consultant with a passion for psychology and development. She also works as a lecturer in occupational psychology at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava and regularly speaks at professional HR events.
Her interest in the topic of power and leadership behavior stems from years of practical experience, during which she has seen how strongly an environment can influence the behavior of even highly capable people. That is why she focuses on preventing toxic behaviors, fostering reflection, and building a culture that is not undermined by small compromises. Her training sessions combine expertise, perspective, and humor. The topics she chooses always reflect the reality within companies.
Power is a fascinating instrument that can build great things, yet at the same time quietly tests each of our character. In an era when traditional models of authority are undergoing transformation and the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds are becoming blurred, the way we gain influence and handle it is also changing dramatically. Where does healthy ambition end and where does the need to control others begin? This lecture offers an in-depth analysis of the psychology of power, which we examine not only in the isolated environment of companies, but as a key determinant of our everyday interactions and the overall direction of society.
12:45 - 13:30 Lunch