Renault’s Bertrand Cherpin to Keynote on Recycling and Sustainability at the first Automotive Materials Summit

1 April 2019: Registration has opened for the first Automotive Materials Summit, being held at the Infinity Hotel, Munich, on 17 and 18 June 2019. The new two-day conference will attract automakers and automotive suppliers in the plastics, rubber and polyurethanes industries. Delegate registration is at: www.automotivematerialssummit.com

Peter Fuss, Ernst & Young’s Senior Advisory Partner, Automotive Team, will chair the conference. Bertrand Cherpin, Recycling Project Manager at Renault, will open the first day with a keynote address on: The Role of Recycling and Sustainability in Vehicle Development.

The Automotive Materials Summit will provide a platform for experts and decision-makers from the global polymers industry to come together, gather information and exchange ideas about material trends, market growth areas, key issues and new technologies in plastics, rubber and polyurethanes – key components used in the automotive industry. Both days of the event will feature a mix of plenary and breakout sessions, the latter covering automotive interiors and exteriors with separate streams for plastics, rubber and polyurethanes.

No other conference offers delegates such a comprehensive understanding of the legislative, market, design, sustainability and manufacturing issues facing today’s automotive sector, nor is able to present the breadth of polymer innovations currently in development.

Key topics covered over the two days will include: global automotive trends, automotive design and consumer trends, the role of new materials in vehicle development, and consumer buying behaviours. Sustainability, recycling environmental issues and lightweighting will also feature prominently. Other industry issues examined include European regulations and the emissions challenges facing automotive manufacturers.

Sid Asthana, Global Director, Materials Science and Engineering, Magna Exteriors, will deliver the second day’s keynote address entitled: New Approaches to Vehicle Exteriors in a Changing Market. Christoph Siara, Sales and Marketing Director, OCSIAL Europe, will present a paper on Game-Changing Technology in Carbon Nanotubes for an Electrified Age.

Speakers and delegates will include prominent representatives of manufacturers and suppliers—both at the management and engineering level including automakers, Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 parts suppliers, component manufacturers, resin makers and software companies. Other featured speakers include:

• Philip Boydell, Senior Research Associate, DowDuPont
• Thomas Koeppl, Group Product Manager, Hexpol 
• Bert Havenith, Strategic and Market Intelligence Director, DSM Engineering Plastics
• Daniel Tyrkas, Director, Automotive Solutions, Mitsubishi Chemical
• Marcel Petri, Research Scientist, Armacell
• Philippe Toneguzzo, Materials Expert, Groupe Plastivaloire
• Michael Behnke, Senior Manager Advanced Development Group Europe, IAC Group

Early bird rates for conference delegates registering by 8 April 2019 are €750 +VAT for the full two days or €465+VAT for a single day. Normal rates for booking made from 9 April 2019 are €985 +VAT for the full two days or €565+VAT for a single day. There is a special discount of 15% for bookings of three of more delegate places at the same time. Register here.

The Automotive Materials Summit is organised by the Crain Global Polymer Group and its brands, including Plastics News Europe, Plastics & Rubber World, European Rubber Journal, Urethanes Technology and UTECH Europe. Trinseo is sponsoring the event. Crain also organises the annual Automotive Surfaces Conference.

For more information please visit: www.automotivematerialssummit.com 

Media Contact: 
Doug Bentall
Iona Communications
Tel: +44 1892 800164 
Email: doug@ionacommunications.com 

For more information: 
Katherine Hampson
Crain Communications
Tel: +44 7976 222256 
Email: khampson@crain.com