CLEPA celebrates Top Innovators of the European automotive supply industry
Brussels, 5 December 2024 – The ninth CLEPA Innovation Awards showcased ground-breaking ideas in green and digital technology across the automotive supply industry. The event awarded 12 Top Innovators and included talks with high-level EU policy makers on the future of transport.
“The CLEPA Innovation Awards shine a light on the latest innovations from automotive suppliers and highlight the outstanding efforts within our industry,” said CLEPA Secretary General Benjamin Krieger. “By focusing on digital and green mobility, we’re addressing pressing EU needs for transforming business practices towards faster, more advanced, and diverse solutions.”
Since 1959, CLEPA has been a key voice for automotive suppliers in Europe, and this 65th anniversary milestone brought together key policy makers Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation (European Commission), MEPs Andrea Wechsler (EPP) and Danuše Nerudová (EPP). They joined CLEPA President, Matthias Zink and Deloitte’s Elmar Pritsch on stage for a panel discussion on the key drivers for this industry to stay competitive and continue leading innovation.
Matthias Zink, who is CEO Powertrain & Chassis at Schaeffler, will mark his first year as CLEPA President in January 2025. He stressed the need for technology openness and stronger EU business growth:
“As our industry undergoes its transformation, we need appealing business conditions and clear pathways to achieve our goals. This means having regulations that welcome all technologies, cut down on foreign dependence, and help us reach climate targets faster.”
Elmar Pritsch, Global Software-defined Vehicle Leader at Deloitte, added “a European framework for digital type approval can be regarded as a game changer for the entire automotive industry: The compliant deployment of new vehicle features via efficient over-the-air updates would enhance road safety considerably.”
