Plenary Session Speakers
Dr. Christian von Albrichsfeld

Dr. Christian von Albrichsfeld

Country Head of Continental Romania and R&D Head

Christian von Albrichsfeld graduated at the Technical University in Darmstadt, Germany in 1992 and received a doctoral degree in robotics and artificial intelligence from the same University in 1997.

In the same year he joined the technology company Continental, being today one of the most important suppliers for the automotive industry worldwide, where he worked in research projects and in the technical management for innovative automotive systems.

Since 2009 he is the General Manager of Continental Automotive Romania, representing also as Country Head Continental in Romania, coordinating it’s activities with currently more than 20.000 employees in Timisoara, Sibiu, Brasov, Nadab, Carei and Iasi at national level. At the same time he is the manager for Research and Development.

In 2012 he received the title of Honorary Professor of the Polytechnic University Timisoara.

He is vice president of the German Economic Club Banat, vice president of the Executive Board of the Politehnica University of Timisoara and vice president of the German-Romanian Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

2018 he was awarded CEO of the Year by Automotive Today and The Diplomat.

He is permanently engaged in the collaboration between economic and educational institutions, a collaboration which not only has a scientific component, reflected in research and development but also an institutional one for improving the educational academic system and its’ adaptation to global standards.

His commitment to education has also extended to the undergraduate level, being one of the initiators for reintroducing vocational schools in Romania, a project in which Continental is a partner of the pilot classes in Timisoara, Carei, Brasov and Sibiu, being also member of the German-Romanian Steering Committee for dual professional education.

Current Megatrends in Automotive Industry and Its Effects on Vehicle Architecture

Abstract

Changes in technology, sociologic megatrends, as urbanization, aging population, and socio-political trends as green and sustainable mobility are marking the directions in the automotive industry.

Megatrends like connected cars, autonomous driving vehicles, shared mobility and electric cars lead to vehicles which will be defined by functionality and software. Cars will become part of a mobility ecosystem.

This is leading to a transformation of the vehicle architecture currently implemented in series vehicles: A patchwork architecture where functionalities are isolated in up to 100 ECUs with individual interfaces and a lot of cabling ensuring the electric

and electronic connection is going to be replaced by a function defined architecture with few high performance computers and zone computers, with standardized interfaces, where the cabling will be halved.

The presentation will describe this development in more details.