5th International CTI Symposium ’Automotive Transmissions, Hybrid & Electric Drives’ in Shanghai is the Meeting Point for the World’s Transmission Experts
Dusseldorf/Shanghai, 23 September 2016 – ”Stricter legislation and increased environmental awareness among drivers, including those in China, are driving a radical rethink in the industry. There is a growing focus on hybrid drives, specifically in the new transmission category called DHT or Dedicated Hybrid Transmission, a concept developed specially for use in hybrid drives”, explained symposium chair Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ferit Küçükay (Director of the Institute of Automotive Engineering, TU Braunschweig) at the beginning of the 5th CTI Symposium ’Automotive Transmissions, Hybrid & Electric Drives’ in Shanghai.
The central issues at the conference (21–23 Sept) included how to achieve lower costs, higher efficiency and greater comfort, CO2 reduction strategies, integration, connectivity, and the impact of automated driving on transmissions. Around 570 auto industry experts from Asia, Europe and the USA attended the symposium, which is the Chinese sister event to the Berlin Symposium, the world’s foremost get-together for the transmissions industry.
Against this backdrop, Sylvia Zenzinger, Managing Director CTI Transmission Symposia Europe, USA and China, gave an upbeat summary:
”With 570 participants from 17 nations, many of them frequent attendees, and 70% of participants from China, there is no doubt that the CTI Symposium China has become an acknowledged exchange platform for national and international players in the automobile industry.”
The topics selected by the high-calibre plenum were particulary relevant for China, and were presented in a total of 64 specialist talks in 8 sessions, as well as in the plenum lectures and podium discussion. Hot topics included the new transmission concept Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), DCT and CVT, clutches, transmissions and components for New Energy Vehicle (NEV), on-demand actuation, lubrication, functional development, calibration, and technologies for the commercial vehicle sector. The flanking exhibition ’Transmission Expo’ also played an important role in the discussion, with innovative products and technology from 47 transmission manufacturers and suppliers on show.
Led by symposium chair and committee head Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ferit Küçükay, further international experts provided an overview of current developments, challenges and solutions in the world of transmissions and drives in general, and for the Chinese market in particular. These included Hanbing Yang (President Automotive Schaeffler Group, Greater China), Michael Schöffmann (Head of Transmission Development, Audi AG), Mario Brunner (Head of Passenger Car Transmission, AVL List GmbH) Dr. Frank Zhao (Director of Tsinghua Automotive Strategy Research Institute (TASRI), Tsinghua University), Dr. Rolf Gall (Head of R&D Asia Pacific, Head of Engineering Center, ZF (China) Investment Co. Ltd) and Peter Hartmann (Head of FCA APAC Powertrain, FCA Powertrain Technologies R&D Shanghai Co. Ltd).
Once again, interest in the traditional Introduction Day ahead of the symposium was strong. On 21 September, lay persons and industry newcomers got the chance to familiarise themselves with the basics and practical aspects of conventional and electric drives, as well as transmissions. At the press conference on 22 September, the 16 media representatives had the opportunity to learn more about the background and current developments of the CTI Symposia from Prof. Dr.-Ing.Ferit Küçükay, Sylvia Zenzinger, Hanbing Yang and Prof. Frank Zhao. At the event, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Küçükay underlined the importance of China for thr automobile industry and announced that there will be a CTI Symposium China next year too.
CTI Symposia are an institution in Europe and the USA
CTI Symposium China is a sister event to CTI Symposium Berlin. Its defining characteristics include the high quality of the lectures, the proximity of its topics to Chinese market specifics, and the high proportion of decision-makers among attendees. Last year over 1300 participants and 120 exhibitors from around the world attended the Berlin Symposium, one of the world’s most important specialist events for transmission technology, where DHT was defined and presented as a new hybrid transmission category for the first time. The CTI Symposium USA has an equally outstanding reputation for its hands-on approach, and is the market leader after ten years. In response to increasing globalisation in the industry, the organisers drew on their long years of experience to create the first CTI Symposium China in 2012. The event now has a firm place in the calendars of transmission and drive technology stakeholders.