ECG — 2026-09-14
News from ECG
“The European automotive industry is undergoing the greatest transformation in its history, but it´s on the right track, finding its way to the future.” Prof. Dr Stefan Bratzel will be the keynote speaker at the ECG Conference in Copenhagen on 15-16 October 2026.
This year’s event is titled “Winds of Change: Understanding Tomorrow, Navigating Towards the Future.” Bratzel will explore the main forces currently reshaping the automotive industry, clarifying how manufacturers are responding to changing demand, increasing competition, technological transformation, and mounting pressure on costs and profitability.
These challenges are not insurmountable. Bratzel argues that the industry has already begun to respond, with manufacturers reviewing cost structures, organisational models and production footprints. “The development is moving in the right direction, even in a challenging world. The pace of transformation must not slow,” he explains.
Stefan Bratzel is a professor of automotive management and the founder of CAM, the Centre for Automotive Management at the University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Management in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. In the media, he has described the transformation as a “Herculean challenge,” likening it to “open-heart surgery,” with difficult implementation but no alternatives.
For Bratzel, the transition to electric mobility remains a central element of the industry’s long-term transformation and future competitiveness.
He notes that no manufacturer can face these difficulties alone, and that labour unions need to support tough decisions. “Conditions for the business sector in Europe must improve; stakeholders also play a crucial role. Nobody speaks openly about it, but we are witnessing a gradual shift of production and job opportunities abroad. This shift is understandable.”
According to Stefan Bratzel, it is important to safeguard the competitiveness of the business location and avoid further job losses. This includes recognising the impact of shorter working hours combined with higher salaries and elevated healthcare costs. “Even if it hurts, the party is over. We must roll up our sleeves in the years to come.”
Bratzel compares large automotive organisations to ships that must transform into a fleet of fast boats, able to navigate obstacles with more flexibility and agility, thus creating greater room for manoeuvre and independence. “A new era of extreme volatility has begun. An entrepreneurial spirit is needed.”
Another factor he highlights is the importance of ensuring companies have the right expertise, collaborate with suitable partners, and embrace cultural and organisational change.
He concludes by emphasising the need for a new culture of collaboration in Europe. “We will never be able to produce vehicles more cheaply than other countries, but we must achieve a level of quality that justifies the higher price,” he says, citing autonomous driving and robotic technology as examples.
At the ECG Conference in Copenhagen, Bratzel will take this analysis further, looking at where the automotive industry is heading and how companies can remain competitive through a period of profound change. His keynote will put the conference theme, Winds of Change – Understanding Tomorrow, Navigating Towards the Future, into the wider context of the transformation taking place across the automotive industry.