IAA 2023 takeaways...

Be advised; this post might be too long to read. But I felt the urge to share my impressions from 2023 IAA Mobility.

Back home after an intense week in Munich, I feel inspired and overwhelmed. I found myself connecting with old and new acquaintances form our Automotive Industry community.

Also, happy to see my collogues Robert Dolton and Paul Traynor together with Patrick J. from ForSeven and James McLachlan from CDN having a fireside chat on stage about how Designing Light and Sound effects CX and enhances brand.

Apart from networking and loosing myself in interesting conversations regarding the future mobility, I managed to get around to see the Messe and the expo downtown.

These are my takeaways based on my impressions…

• ?CX, Sustainability & Monetizing services are tech drivers right now.
• In the comprehensive area of Customer Experience (CX) a few things were apparent, Tier 1 suppliers believes in a future in autonomous vehicles.The idea of getting into your vehicle in Munich and waking up at Lake Garda seem to be the scenario. In a rolling living room that turns into a bedroom while travelling in fist class. ?Other takes on this is to launch OEM cellphones like Polestar and NIO are planning to merge the two platforms into one to enhance the seamless experience.Benz’s Mercedes Me does the same, and Magnus ?stberg launched a test this summer with about 1?000 users to test Chat GTP paired with their voice assistant to augment the experience. I guess we’ll see more Generative AI in cars soon.
• Apart from Qualcomm, AWS, Samsung solidifying their presence in the automotive sector, I spied with my eye JP Morgan making a notable entrance at expo under the parole “Driving the future of payments” (monetized services). Cementing my belief in that this sector is starting to overlap other in a very aggressive way.
• One huge talking point in the conversations I had was about seamless charging experiences. Peel back and make it simple for end users. Panel talk hosted be BCG with panelists Michael Halbherr ABB e-mobility, Stefan von Dobschütz BP pulse, Tanya Sinclair chargepoint, Michael Hajesch IONITY all highlighted the need to pull together and basically “get it done”. ?Other examples are Porsche Charging Lounge Pilot sites, Audi and Mercedes charging hubs. Mercedes also lunches Green Charging and pre booking.

• Finally, I cached the Holoride talk about “The future of in-car XR entertainment”, They have a commercially available tech ready. Also equipped with anti-motion sickness tech for the metaverse ready younger generation offering a true cinematic experience. (Equivalent to a 6 meter diameter screen with 11?000 movie titles on the platform)
• In Sustainability I was impressed by how OEM CEOs like Thomas Ingenlath at Polestar, among others in their keynotes talks openheartedly and passionate about their work in climate change mitigation. ?And Automakers were proudly displaying recycled or bio-based materials to be used in future production in their stands. Asserting themselves in displaying proof points of taking responsibility for climate change mitigation. ?Like Mercedes Benz talking about battery recycling factories being built across US, EU and China, designing for circularity, etc. in their ambition 2039 program. Also, a vivid discussion regarding future E-fuels with Porsche as flag bearer.
• And when superstar Natalie Portman talks about SDG 11 on affordable & available transports the audience listens. It’s not only on policy makers to change behaviors, it’s on all of us.

• “How do we change habits that have manifested themselves over generations? For Natalie Portman, the answer to this elementary question is clear: bit by bit, in small steps, to convince people in the process instead of forcing it.”
• The CDN breakout event Designing the Future of Mobility, discussed, among other things, the importance and impact of CMF as leaders in choosing materials going forward (in regards of circular economy and CO2 footprint). On that topic I really enjoyed the panel with Maximilian Missoni , Pierre Leclercq, Robert Oliver Samson and Wayne Burgess .
• The quest of the best battery technology continues across the board, but the thing that caught my friend Joel G?rsch ’s eye was CATL’s claim to have a breakthrough production ready Sodium-ion battery with properties appropriate for BEV:

Of course, IAA Mobility 2023 had much, much more to offer. Like the TUM hyperloop pod…And I sure there’s a lot of other posts with additional and (perhaps) contradicting takeaways…

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