Fourth Global Connection of Overseas Chinese Automotive Engineers Successfully Held
The fourth “Global Connection of Overseas Chinese Automotive Engineers” opened grandly on 9 November 2024, drawing automotive technology experts and scholars from around the world and focusing on the latest trends and future directions of the automotive industry. Jointly hosted by several associations of Chinese automotive engineers and spanning Europe, North America, Asia, and other regions, the event was unprecedented in scale and attracted wide attention.
The event was hosted by the Global Alliance of Overseas Chinese Automotive Engineers Associations and co-organized by PASCO, the Association of Chinese Automotive Engineers in France, the Association of Chinese Automotive Engineers in Germany, the Association of Chinese Automotive Engineers in Japan, the North American Chinese Powertrain Engineers Association, the North American Chinese Automotive Engineers Association, and the Chinese Automotive Engineers Association in the UK.
The two-day online event drew more than forty automotive technology experts and related scholars from across the globe. Centering on hot topics in the automotive industry, they discussed in depth the latest trends in the automotive field as well as the future directions for the industry’s expansion into Europe.
The event was hosted by Mr. Zhu Zhentao, Vice Chairman of PASCO. He first reviewed the development of the Global Connection event over four years; its influence has grown steadily, and the online platform has broken through geographical limitations, building a high-quality platform for practitioners in the automotive industry to interact and expand their knowledge. Mr. Guan Qi, the former Chairman of PASCO and chair of the organizing committee of this Global Connection, and Mr. Xu Hongming, Chairman of the Chinese Automotive Engineers Association in the UK and Chairman of the Global Alliance, then delivered warm opening remarks. Mr. Zou Daqing, President of the North American Chinese Automotive Engineers Association, Mr. Tang Jian, President of the North American Chinese Powertrain Engineers Association, Mr. Zhang Ruizhao, Secretary-General of the Association of Chinese Automotive Engineers in France, Mr. Qin Yuxue, President of the Association of Chinese Automotive Engineers in Germany, and Mr. Xin Ping, President of the Association of Chinese Automotive Engineers in Japan, also extended their good wishes to the event.
Chris Mason, Chief Executive Officer of the International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies, Kiran Patel, Senior Director of the China-Britain Business Council, and the China Society of Automotive Engineers specially sent congratulatory videos, wishing the event complete success.
At the opening ceremony, the two distinguished invited guests—Cara Tredget, Vice President of Shell Mobility and Lubricants Technology, and Andrea Conti, Vice President of ADAS/AD Engineering at AVL List GmbH—delivered excellent opening keynote presentations. From their respective fields, they described a series of transformations their companies are undergoing amid the major development of today’s automotive industry, offering profound inspiration for embracing the shift toward new energy and intelligence in the sector.
In the subsequent technical presentation session hosted by Ms. Man Xin, President of the Association of Chinese Automotive Engineers in Japan, Dr. Li Hexuan, an ADAS expert based in Germany, spoke on scenario analysis and intelligent modeling in the field of vehicle intelligence; Dr. Yang Yu, an automotive semiconductor analyst at the Yole Group in France, focused on the key semiconductor technologies for assisted driving; Dr. Zhang Ziqian, a power expert at Graz University of Technology in Austria, examined the challenges and opportunities facing electric vehicles and power infrastructure; Deputy Chief Engineer Fan Bin of CATARC New Energy Vehicle Test Center (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. analyzed research and application of evaluation technologies for electric vehicle charging systems aimed at improving user experience; and Dr. Chen Fei, Chief Technology Officer of Shenzhen Shifang Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd., presented, from a process perspective, a report on mass-producible manufacturing routes for UV printing of battery cell insulation coatings. These experts and scholars analyzed in depth the current industry trends, technological innovations, and future developments from various perspectives; the presentations were rich and cutting-edge in content, attracting considerable attention and interaction from the audience.
The second day of the event was hosted by Ms. Zhao Le, Secretary-General of the North American Chinese Powertrain Engineers Association. Prof. Sam Akehurst of the University of Bath in the UK delivered the opening keynote “future propulsion and energy solutions for hard to electrify vehicles”; Dr. He Xin, Director of the Transportation Strategy Department at the Aramco Detroit Research Center, gave the presentation “Transportation Policies and Regulations in US”; Dr. Mao Ling, Chief Scientist of Gangyan Huapu, addressed “The Development Status and Trends of PEM Electrolyzers”; and Dr. Tang Huayin, head of vehicle electrification products at Li Auto, analyzed the 5C ultra-fast charging and energy replenishment experience of the Li MEGA. These outstanding presentations carried the event to its climax; the technical talks covered a wide range, from interpretations of cutting-edge technology to analyses of industry development. The audience interacted actively in the comments section, and the scholars conscientiously answered numerous questions, bringing academic research closer to the public.
This was followed by the key segment of the Central Europe–China Roundtable Forum, with the discussion hosted by Dr. Wang Shanjin, President of the Association of Chinese Automotive Engineers in France. Participants included Mr. Qiang Shunqiang, General Manager for Europe at XPeng, Mr. Reshiti Tuerxun, General Manager of FEST Auto in France, Mr. Yang Yu, Chief Automotive Semiconductor Analyst at the Yole Group in France, Mr. Li Huibin, Engineering Director for Asia-Pacific at Aptiv Central Electrics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Mr. Liu Yiran, a board member of the Chinese Automotive Engineers Association in the UK, and several experts from domestic automobile manufacturers based in Europe. They held lively discussions on hot topics such as automobile manufacturing, export trade, and laws and policies, addressing key issues including market strategy, technical standards, and brand image.
At the close of the forum, the guests reached a consensus: Chinese automakers going global is not only commercial expansion but also a worldwide demonstration of the strength of Chinese manufacturing. The European market has high demands for intelligence, electrification, and environmental performance—precisely where the strengths of Chinese brands lie. The experts suggested that, in the future, Chinese automakers could further cooperate with European local companies and institutions to better adapt to market changes.
Toward the end of the event, Ms. Zhou Xiaoying, President of Gasgoo and a strategic partner of this event, attended in person and delivered a speech. She expressed firm support and full recognition of the event’s role in promoting the integration of overseas Chinese automotive engineers into the overall development of China’s automotive industry, and looked forward with confidence to the broad prospects of future cooperation.
Finally, the “Global Connection of Overseas Chinese Automotive Engineers” came to a successful close with the closing remarks of Mr. Xu Hongming, Chairman of the Global Alliance. Chairman Xu noted that the event was not only a technical exchange but also an important driving force for international cooperation in the industry. The guests likewise agreed that the event had strengthened connections across the global automotive engineering field, and they looked forward to more opportunities for cross-border collaboration in the future. Some corporate representatives stated that they would strengthen international technical cooperation and accelerate technological upgrading to meet the complex demands of the global market.
The successful conclusion of this event became a new milestone in global technical exchange for the automotive industry. The organizers stated that they would continue to promote more Global Connection events in the future, creating a platform for industry professionals to learn cutting-edge technology and opportunities for cooperation, and helping to support the sustainable development and intelligent transformation of the global automotive industry.
Editor: PASCO Public Relations Department
Text and Photos: Dong Yu, Zhu Zhentao
