Conference 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 two separate conference rooms.
- 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, 27th (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 - 10:00 Between Europe and Reality: The Slovak Industry in the Midst of Transformation

Ľudovít Ódor
Member of the European parliament, former prime minister of Slovakia
10:00 - 11:00 Further steps towards the competitiveness of the European automotive industry – panel discussion

Ľudovít Ódor
Member of the European parliament, former prime minister of Slovakia
The European automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges and a decline in sales both in the European and global markets. The discussion will focus on identifying the causes of this decline, ways to mitigate its impacts, and strategies for preserving both production capacities and markets. It will bring perspectives from industry representatives and experts and will seek concrete recommendations to maintain the competitiveness of this key sector of the European economy.

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.
The European automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges and a decline in sales both in the European and global markets. The discussion will focus on identifying the causes of this decline, ways to mitigate its impacts, and strategies for preserving both production capacities and markets. It will bring perspectives from industry representatives and experts and will seek concrete recommendations to maintain the competitiveness of this key sector of the European economy.

Sigrid de Vries
Director General, ACEA
Sigrid de Vries is the Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), having taken up position in September 2022. Ms de Vries has long-standing experience working for strategic EU industry sectors – from automobile manufacturers to automotive suppliers, to the construction equipment sector. She has held various external affairs and leadership roles, and has a strong track record in representing industries in times of fast-paced transformation. Prior to her current appointment at ACEA, Sigrid de Vries was Secretary General of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA). She also led the Association of the European Construction Equipment Industry (CECE), and headed the external relations and communications department at CNH Industrial. De Vries previously acted as ACEA’s Director of Communications and Public Relations between 2006 and 2012.A Dutch national, Ms de Vries studied journalism in the Netherlands. She worked for over a decade as a correspondent for a major financial newspaper, reporting from Amsterdam, Brussels and Berlin.
The European automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges and a decline in sales both in the European and global markets. The discussion will focus on identifying the causes of this decline, ways to mitigate its impacts, and strategies for preserving both production capacities and markets. It will bring perspectives from industry representatives and experts and will seek concrete recommendations to maintain the competitiveness of this key sector of the European economy.

Vladimír Huťan
General Manager, HELLA Slovakia Lighting & Vice President Operations Europe, Business group Lighting
Vladimír Huťan has more than 17 years of experience in the automotive industry. Since 2020, he has been part of the multinational company HELLA, which is now a member of the FORVIA HELLA Group. He currently serves as Vice President of Operations for the Interior Lighting Division Europe and as Managing Director of HELLA Slovakia Lighting, which operates three plants in Slovakia and employs more than 3,500 people. He has held various leadership positions, including Vice President of Operations Europe for the Lighting Business Group and Country Manager. His extensive experience includes roles in quality management and production across various regions, including Slovakia, China, and Serbia. He earned his engineering degree from the University of Economics in Bratislava.
The European automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges and a decline in sales both in the European and global markets. The discussion will focus on identifying the causes of this decline, ways to mitigate its impacts, and strategies for preserving both production capacities and markets. It will bring perspectives from industry representatives and experts and will seek concrete recommendations to maintain the competitiveness of this key sector of the European economy.
11:00 - 11:30 Networking break

Congress foyer
11:30 - 12:30 Global Challenges and the Adaptation of 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.
The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by electromobility, sustainable manufacturing, and a changing global landscape. The discussion will focus on shifts in production portfolios, new demands on supply chains, and the competitiveness of manufacturing in Europe compared to the USA and China. Topics will include the impact of trade wars, potential reshoring, localization of production, and the search for new business models. The panel will offer insights from professionals on the strategic direction of the sector in a time of deglobalization and uncertainty.

Petr Knap
Senior Advisor, EY
Petr Knap is the Head of the Consulting Division for the Czech Republic. After having worked at Procter & Gamble, he worked in consulting since 1996, and joined EY in 2002. His professional experience is based mainly on work in the automotive and manufacturing sectors, in the past he also worked for clients in the telecommunications and public sectors. Over the years, he has led management consulting projects focused on strategy development, organizational change, process improvement and cost optimization. Petr is actively involved in initiatives addressing innovative trends of the manufacturing future such as digitization, Industry 4.0, autonomous cars, e-mobility, etc.
The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by electromobility, sustainable manufacturing, and a changing global landscape. The discussion will focus on shifts in production portfolios, new demands on supply chains, and the competitiveness of manufacturing in Europe compared to the USA and China. Topics will include the impact of trade wars, potential reshoring, localization of production, and the search for new business models. The panel will offer insights from professionals on the strategic direction of the sector in a time of deglobalization and uncertainty.

Peter Zhou
Founder of TCC KOLs, Executive Vice Chairman of the CEIBS Alumni Auto Association (CAAA)
Dr. Zhou boasts 23 years of experience in digital servitization and cross-industry innovation within the automotive industry. He has established the Telematics@China Community (TCC) and Tencent Mobility Academy. He has driven advanced digital innovation based on cross-organizational trust by creating a Community of Practice that shared digital knowledge and building digital platform ecosystems. As a founding advisor of projects, he facilitated a strategic joint venture between SAIC Motor and Alibaba Group, leading to the establishment of the unicorn company Banma within just three years and a significant success for the first generation of Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) in China. Dr. Zhou has held several prestigious positions, including Vice President at Alibaba AutoNavi, Senior Vice President at Banma, Dean of Tencent Mobility Academy, and Senior Researcher at Tencent Research Institute.
As Programme Co-Director, he has collaborated with the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) to launch the CEIBS-Tencent Joint Programme for the Automotive Industry. Having successfully delivered two sessions, the third is being planned. Besides offering training programs to automotive executives, Dr. Zhou has provided Telematcs and SDV consulting services to OEMs such as General Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan, SAIC Motor, Hyundai Kia, SAIC Group, and Great Wall Motor.
A graduate of the Department of Applied Chemistry at Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a proficiency in Japanese from Keio University, Dr. Zhou also holds an MBA and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) certification from CEIBS. He earned his Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from EMLYON Business School in France. His research is dedicated to addressing organizational dysfunctions in the digital transformation of the automotive industry and exploring how Communities of Practice (CoP) can promote organizational changes necessary for SDV.
The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by electromobility, sustainable manufacturing, and a changing global landscape. The discussion will focus on shifts in production portfolios, new demands on supply chains, and the competitiveness of manufacturing in Europe compared to the USA and China. Topics will include the impact of trade wars, potential reshoring, localization of production, and the search for new business models. The panel will offer insights from professionals on the strategic direction of the sector in a time of deglobalization and uncertainty.

Robert Kiml
President, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic & Vice President, Automotive Industry Association of the Czech republic
Dr. Robert Kiml has been working at Kolín Toyota since the beginning of the production of the first generation of cars. Throughout the time, he worked in various leadership positions. He managed the operation of the Paint Shop, the Quality department or the project to start the production of the second generation of Kolín models in 2014. In his career, he also worked in the management of Toyota’s sister plant in Poland. He holds the post of vice president in the Association of the Automobile Industry of the Czech Republic.
The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by electromobility, sustainable manufacturing, and a changing global landscape. The discussion will focus on shifts in production portfolios, new demands on supply chains, and the competitiveness of manufacturing in Europe compared to the USA and China. Topics will include the impact of trade wars, potential reshoring, localization of production, and the search for new business models. The panel will offer insights from professionals on the strategic direction of the sector in a time of deglobalization and uncertainty.
12:30 - 13:45 Lunch

Hotel Partizan Restaurant
13:45 - 14:15 JLR Nitra – Factory of the Future: Beyond Industry 4.0

Guillermo Mancholas
Executive Director, JLR Slovakia
Guillermo was appointed Executive Director of Jaguar Land Rover Slovakia in May 2023 and is responsible for operation of JLR plant in Nitra, which manufactures the iconic Defender (90, 110, 130 and OCTA variants) and Discovery. He joined JLR in 2017 as Director of material planning and logistics in Nitra. Before joining JLR he was working for 22 years in General Motors/Opel in Spain and in Germany and held various senior roles in logistics, manufacturing, programme and finance.
Presentation will outline how Jaguar Land Rover’s Nitra plant, home of the iconic Defender, embraces innovation and tradition and leverages cutting-edge manufacturing technologies. Attendees will gain insights into the plant’s built-in quality strategy. The session will also highlight how a people-centric approach—emphasizing diversity, empowerment, and continuous development—drives performance and engagement in a modern industrial environment.
14:15 - 14:50 Quo vadis, Automotive Industry?

Mirek Topolánek
advisor, EP Industries
Former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and Former President of the European Council. His current positions include Member of the BoD, SES Tlmače / Slovakia, Senior Advisor of the EP Industries, j.s.c./ Czech Republic, Member of the Supervisory Board of EGEM, s.r.o./Czech Republic, International Development and Public Affairs Director, eustream, j.s.c. / Slovakia, Chairman of the Executive Board of the District Heating Association CZ.
Mirek Topolánek was born May 15 1956 in Vsetín in the Czech Republic. He has a permanent residence in Prague, he is married, and he has 4 children and 7 grandchildren. Mirek Topolánek was graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University in Brno.
In 1996 he started his political career as Member of Czech Parliament. From 2006 to 2009 he was the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. In 2009 he was the President of the European Council. In this year he was actively involved in solving the gas crisis in Ukraine and had organized 1th Southern Corridor Summit and hosted 1th Eastern Partnership Summit. Among other things, he was at the origin of the discussion platform of the EU Nuclear Forum.
After leaving high politics he has been active in energy business, journalistic and educational activities. In 2010 he was a candidate of Czech Republic to International Energy Agency in Paris. In 2018 he was causable unsuccessful in the presidential election in Czech Republic. He is a member of Honorary Advisory Board of the International Democrat Union now.
The presentation would like to concentrate on the geopolitical, environmental, economic, energy and raw material consequences and limits of the development of the automotive industry with a focus on the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
14:50 - 15:00 AIA SR award for digitalization of the automotive company – announcement of the winner
15:00 - 15:45 Networking break

Congress foyer
15:45 - 16:40 Human resources and the transformation of the automotive industry

Bohdan Wojnar
Vicepresident, Confederation of Industry Czech Republic
Currently vice president of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic In the years 2016-2021, he was the president of the Automotive Industry Association of the Czech republic. He also served as a member of the National Economic Council of the Government of the Czech Republic. In the period from 1/2011 to 2/2021, he held the position of a member of the Škoda Auto board of directors for the area of human resources. Before that, from 2006 to 2010, he worked as a member of the board of directors of Volkswagen Slovakia. He also has experience of working for a number of universities as part of scientific or administrative boards.
The discussion will focus on the impact of the automotive industry’s transformation on human resources and education in the context of electromobility, digitalization, robotization, and artificial intelligence.

Jaroslav Kouril
Group Country HR Director, FORVIA Faurecia
Mr. Jaroslav Kouril is working nearly 30 years in the human resources sector. His actual position is HR Director for Slovakia in multinational company Faurecia. Faurecia as an important world player in the field of subcontractors in automotive industry and currently employs approximately 2,500 employees in Slovakia. He has large professional experience in multinational corporations in the automotive, industrial and energy sectors, but also in the public sector. He completed his postgraduate degree in financial law at Comenius University and international management studies in Netherlands and Czech Republic.
The discussion will focus on the impact of the automotive industry’s transformation on human resources and education in the context of electromobility, digitalization, robotization, and artificial intelligence.

Petr Dolejší
Mobility & Sustainable Transport Director, ACEA & Vice president, Automotive Skills Alliance
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.
The discussion will focus on the impact of the automotive industry’s transformation on human resources and education in the context of electromobility, digitalization, robotization, and artificial intelligence.
16:40 - 17:00 Automotive industry of Uzbekistan

Rustam Bekchanov
Director for Cooperation, investment and innovation, UzAuto
17:00 - 17:30 Budúcnosť formovaná batériovým priemyslom

Steven Cai
President, Gotion EMEA
Steven Cai is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in the field of power energy and engineering. As the Senior Vice President at Gotion High-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd, he has been instrumental in driving the company’s growth and success since August 2016 and worked with all major OEM’s both in China and Globally on battery cell/pack design and integration. Deep understanding on battery cell/pack design and cost structure, familiar with battery supply chain.
1. EV sales direction of China, Europe and USA markets
2. EV sales will be driven by the battery which will determine not only the future of automobile but also the renewable energy (power outages in Spain on April 29)
3. What happened for the battery industry in Europe and what is the future
4. Battery technology advances will change the world (drones, robots, AI enabled devices). It will reshape the world order in 20 years.
17:30 - 17:40 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, 28th (Wednesday)
09:00 - 09:30 Skills (R)evolution in the Automotive-Mobility Ecosystem

Jakub Štolfa
president, Automotive Skills Alliance
Jakub is the president of the Automotive Skills Alliance, a large-scale Pact for Skills partnership focusing on collaboration on the skills agenda in the Automotive-Mobility Ecosystem. He is also an academic staff member at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, where he has also received his Ph.D. His focus is mainly on up-/re-skilling activities in the Automotive-Mobility Ecosystem and in related other Ecosystems. He coordinated and participated in several strategic European skills agenda projects, such as ERASMUS+ Blueprint project DRIVES, ALBATTS, TRIREME, ECSA. He has experience in project/program management, development of training and education programs, skills intelligence, and technical background in Informatics and Mechatronics in the Automotive-Mobility ecosystem.
The automotive-mobility sector is undergoing a major shift driven by factors such as AI, electrification, software-defined vehicles, CCAM, cybersecurity, data, and circular economy principles—reshaping innovation and workforce needs across the value chain. This rapid change challenges both initial and lifelong learning systems, demanding adaptable curricula and faster upskilling.
The lecture:
- highlights the need for cross-sectoral training collaboration and the pivotal role of the Automotive Skills Alliance as the EU’s Pact for Skills large-scale partnership in building a connected, future-ready learning ecosystem
- presents the possibilities for existing free training programs for automotive employees.
09:30 - 10:00 Ensuring Due Diligence and Reporting Compliance within the Evolving EU Legislation

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.
Despite the EU Taxonomy and CSRD Reporting being in force, and the ongoing transposition period of the CSDDD, the EU Omnibus initiative is already proposing significant amendments. This presentation will address the purpose of due diligence systems and reporting requirements, emphasizing the importance of maintaining operational efficiency and competitive advantage while ensuring compliance within the supply chain. It will explore the latest regulatory requirements, highlight best practices for implementation, and elucidate the strategic importance of due diligence processes for high-level decision-makers.
10:00 - 10:30 Lecture: Winner of AIA SR award for digitalization of the automotive company
10:30 - 11:15 Networking break

Congress foyer
11:15 - 11:45 Innovations that work in industry

Martin Jančo
CEO, M2M Solutions
He founded and manages the Slovak technology company M2M Solutions, focused on supporting supply chain management, logistics and production processes. He is currently mainly engaged in the development of new products and innovations in the field of mobility and production. At the same time, he collaborates on many activities that contribute to solving challenges in the field of research and development.
For his significant contribution to building the ecosystem of smart industry, including the field of smart mobility and the space sector, he received an award in the category of Personality of Science and Technology in 2021. In 2024, he received the title of Innovator of the Year 2024.
Innovations today are not just about trends, but about real performance and competitiveness.
Digitalization, automation, and robotics are essential parts of modern industry – but not every implementation delivers the expected results.
The presentation will introduce:
- the most impactful innovation trends that are truly transforming manufacturing and logistics,
- specific examples of both successful (and less successful) innovation deployments in industrial practice,
- practical recommendations on how to innovate effectively – without unnecessary risks,
- a near-future outlook on what to prepare for and where to seek strategic advantage.
11:45 - 12:15 Discussion with Ivan Hodáč

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).
Moderator in the role of guest: A former ACEA secretary general’s perspective on the current and future situation in the automotive industry
12:15 - 13:30 Lunch
