Forum Home

The 9th Annual China Automotive Industry Forum 2011

The Future of the Auto Industry:
Technology, Rationalization and Globalization

China, now the largest auto producer in the world, will increasingly influence the development of the global auto industry. Several trends are likely to dominate the development of the global automotive industry over the next decade, and in all of them China will play a key role.  Regulatory requirements regarding safety and emissions will increasingly direct technological progress which will lead to greater and greater demands towards car manufacturers. Investment in new product development and new technologies will grow accordingly and will lead to further consolidation and rationalization of the industry. Car producers will have to be present across the globe, not only to achieve scale, but also to capture trends and transfer them to other parts of the world.
 
China will be instrumental in this development, and not only because of the mere size of its auto market. The efforts for instance China is dedicating to the development of electric vehicles indicate a possibility it might just be in a position to leapfrog the development of this technology and not only to become a large market for these products, but also to become a global point of reference in terms of technology and industry practices for the industry. China is already a player in the global consolidation process and this will continue for the future. The industry’s globalization is already heavily influenced by China which has become a key market for any global player, and in addition we can expect in the future, Chinese companies also to be more active globally.

The 2011 Auto Forum will provide a platform – from the perspectives of government officials, industry leaders and renowned academics – for understanding the technological development and the process towards globalization and rationalization, and its impact on the development of the car industry, both within China and abroad.