The digital revolution has profoundly impacted our lives. Manufacturing, vehicle navigation, mechanical control, and other technologies driven by artificial intelligence (AI) have brought the unimaginable to life.
AI-driven manufacturing and 5G have enabled the rise of the smart automobile industry. By 2020, the market size of China’s smart automobile industry is expected to exceed $100 billion RMB, or $14.5 billion USD. Over the next few years, traditional automobile manufacturers will remain leaders of the smart automobile industry, while tech giants that provide advanced voice interaction solutions and AI services and the innovative startups that develop various smart automobile-related applications and software services will become the “assistants” of automobile manufacturers. Cooperation among traditional automobile manufacturers, tech giants, and innovative startups will be essential in spurring innovation in the automobile industry.
Continued scientific development has also spurred innovation in the aerospace industry. The development of solar photovoltaic power plants has brought the concept of zero fuel aircraft one step closer to reality, while innovation in material sciences has produced new materials such as graphene and nanotubes that help improve the efficiency of aircraft wings by reducing aircraft weight. Meanwhile, fuel consumption and blockchain have increased transparency in the manufacturing process of aircraft parts. Equipped with 3D printing technology, AI-driven and highly automated “future factories” will simplify the highly specialized and complex manufacturing process of automobile parts.
Want to learn more about how the smart automobile and aerospace industries define the future of human transportation? By attending TechCrunch Shenzhen 2019, you will have the opportunity to hear from the executives of aircraft manufacturer Airbus China and automobile manufacturers BMW China, BYD Auto, Xpeng Motors, and WM Motor!
Philipp Visotschnig | CFO of Airbus China
With 20 years of leadership experience across the aerospace value chain (Airbus / OEM, Tier1, and tier-2), Philipp is the CFO of Airbus China and is responsible for managing all financial aspects of Airbus’s commercial aircraft business, including its engineering, manufacturing, service, and innovation joint ventures in China. He is also responsible for leading and coordinating Airbus’s helicopter business as well as its defense and aerospace activities in China. He holds various executive and non-executive board positions at Airbus. At TechCrunch Shenzhen 2019, Philipp will share insights into the aerospace and defense industries, focusing especially on the drivers of innovation. Philipp looks forward to participating in conversations on technology-driven management change, restructuring, and transformation.
Peter Riedl | Vice President of BMW Group, Director of the China Technology Center
Starting his career in China, Peter joined BMW in 2006. He has held a number of management positions in the chassis, powertrain, and electronics departments of BMW and is committed to bringing innovation to BMW customers. As the Director of the China Technology Center, Peter is shaping the future of human transportation in China.
Dongsheng Yang | Head of Product of BYD Auto and President of the Automotive New Technology Research Institute
Dongsheng joined BYD in 2005 and has successively served as the Senior Engineer of BYD Automotive Engineering Research Institute, Vice Manager of the Chassis Department of the Automotive Engineering Research Institute, Senior Secretary of the President, and the General Manager of Product and Technology. He has accumulated significant work experience in vehicles, parts, control strategy, vehicle networking, and more. In 2013, Dongsheng led the development of BYD’s smart internet connection system, DiLink. As the first open smart internet connection system in the automobile industry, DiLink was successfully applied to the new generation of BYD’s Tang, Qin, and other automobile models, which became the face of BYD and achieved great success in the Chinese market. Under Dongsheng’s leadership since 2015, the DiLink development team obtained 81 patents in the field of smart networks.
Dr. Hongdi Gu | Vice Chairman and President of Xpeng Motors
In March 2018, Dr. Gu joined Xpeng Motors as Vice Chairman and President and presided over the company’s strategy, finance, investment, and globalization teams. Prior to joining Xpeng Motors, Dr. Gu served as Chairman, Management Committee Member, and Global Strategy Advisory Committee Member of JPMorgan Asia Pacific Investment Bank. Dr. Gu joined JPMorgan in 2004 and held several leading positions in JPMorgan’s Investment Banking division. Before joining JPMorgan, Dr. Gu worked on global M&A at Lehman Brothers in New York from 1998 to 2004. During his career as an investment banker, Dr. Gu provided strategic advice and services to many of the world’s leading enterprises and guided landmark transactions worth more than $200 billion USD. In the Chinese market, he once played an important role in facilitating Alibaba’s IPO and was deeply involved in capital financing, M&A and/or corporate restructuring transactions of leading enterprises such as Xiaomi, Ctrip, Baidu, and Shanda Group. Dr. Gu is Co-Chairman of the Asia Pacific Advisory Committee of JPMorgan, a member of the Greater China Advisory Committee of Yale School of Management, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Yale-China Association.
Feng Yan | Partner & CTO of WM Motor
Yan was one of the youngest “post-80s” senior executives of SAIC Group and key pioneer of the Internet of Vehicles in China automotive industry. During his 10 years of working at SAIC, Yan was responsible for auto interconnectivity and digitization. He has a comprehensive understanding of the automotive business, automotive hardware and software. During his tenure as the Deputy CIO of SAIC Motor, he was the key developer and implementation leader of SAIC’s digital strategy and intelligent network strategy.
As one of the founders of Zebra Technology Co., Ltd (a joint venture between SAIC and Alibaba), Yan is one of the key players facilitated the Joint Venture negotiation which became a benchmark in automotive an internet industry. At Zebra Technologies, Yan was responsible for a diverse portfolio including product design, software development, platform building, business operation, market branding, etc. Roewe RX5 Intelligent Network project was one of the most successful miracles for the Internet of Vehicles.
As the partner and CTO of WM Motor, Yan is responsible for the design, development, and implementation of all the intelligent network products. He has led a team of business and technology experts and developed a fully connected smart car system that has won extensive recognition in the industry and from users.
Based in Shanghai, Suzanne builds and promotes TechNode domestically and globally by designing and implementing online and offline marketing campaigns and events. A Global Studies graduate from St. Lawrence...
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