“The Transmission Symposium is an event we cannot miss!“
Interview with Jürgen Link, Vice President, GKN Driveline.
GKN Driveline is a participant and exhibitor at the transmission symposium for many years now. For a good reasons as Vice president, Jürgen Link, said in our interview. Read more.
Jürgen Link: One important product stream in our GKM Driveline Organisation focusses on electrification. We already have very good products for electrified drivetrains in the market, so naturally that’s why we’re here at CTI. It’s a must-attend event for us and as you said already: The shift towards electrified drivetrains plays in GKM’s favour as an OEM supplier, and we have interesting products. So for us that’s a real advantage. And you can see here in general, as you said, the way the event is growing reflects the market growth for electrification. That’s a great thing.
CTI: You could get the impression that the industry has changed its mood as well: in previous years you often heard critical voices too, saying conventional drivetrains would lose their significance. Doesn’t seem to bother anyone now, does it?
Link: No, I think people have realised that hybridization won’t bypass combustion engines entirely. When you look at the numbers: 25 or 30 percent in 2030, you can see there’s still a lot of combustion engine in the mix. Of course those engines will get simpler, smalller, and I think their drive power will be reduced too, and we’ll install more and more electric power instead. But I think over time the industry has come to terms with the idea, and has certainly adapted its products accordingly.
CTI: For you personally as a manager: how much strategic information will you take home from Berlin? Can you use the insights from an event like this to plan your thinking and your strategy for the future?
Link: Absolutely. That’s why I’m here, because I’m involved in our company strategy too, and naturally we want to see how the market is developing. This event is a great reflection of the market. We can see which direction things are going from the technology and the expert talks here. And – last but not least – from the plenary lectures too. For instance when BMW talks, that’s obviously extremely important information for us as a supplier and we factor it into our strategic thinking right away.
