The development of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things, coupled to a growing desire for a new shared and eco-friendly mobility are the trends currently leading the automotive industry towards a “new spring”.  A revolution that involves traditional Oem and Iam manufacturers, innovative start-ups and hi-tech multinational corporations. All competing to get a piece of the pie.
 

Visitors have been invited to sign up online so as not to miss the opportunity to see firsthand the workshop of the future, thanks to a virtual display set up in Hall 30.

As the global economic influence of the EU declines, there are concerns over which path to take in the near future given a choice between moderate interventions and cries for a stronger cooperation.
 

By endorsing the joint declaration, EGEA (European Garage Equipment Association) confirms the need for robust policies on behalf of Europe’s future industrial production, 99% of which is made up of SME, the real backbone of the continent’s economy and industry. The initiative bears a great significance also for the car repair sector.

We are looking at an important market, one that has sustained Auto-components manufacturers , spare parts dealers and repair workshops during the worst period of the recession. Not only, the sector has continued to generate good profits margins for dealers, authorized and private retailers right down to our days. The web represents the biggest news for the sector with change of ownerships constantly on the rise. In Italy, according to a research carried out by Doxa, the second-hand car market is worth 19 billion euro.

The European Commission recently launched the C-ITS project to study a “standard, interoperable and safe open-access platform”, and points to three possible solutions: an interoperable on-board OTP system (Open Telematics Platform), an advanced direct user-interface or IVI system (In-Vehicle Interface) and an external cloud-based platform (Extended Vehicle). But only one of these, according to AICA, can guarantee the creation and subsequent development of independent and competitive services.

According to forecasts provided by Autopromotec’s Observatory, within five years the European market will reach a turnover of over 48 billion euro, surpassing what is now to be considered the world's largest market, the US. Growth, though, will be staggering in all countries.

The Italian Independent aftermarket is currently enjoying good health and closed last year with a positive sign. Apart from last year’s figures though, the whole supply chain is undergoing  a reorganization of relationships and partnerships between trading partners creating a new economic balance. According to the Polytechnic University of Turin and more specifically its research center for the automotive sector, a selection process favoring the most virtuous companies is currently taking place.
 

According to Giuseppe Barile, President of ANFIA Components Group, UK's exit from the single market will create some shock waves in the market. For Italian automotive companies this translates into 2.9 billion Euro in exports. "Knowing what will happen is still premature. Certainly, one thing to avoid is a return to the rules of the WTO, where 10% excise duty on cars and 4.5% on single components would be harmful".
 

Small-size engines favor fuel economy and lower emissions thanks to their reduced power. As the economy begins to recover, the average engine size is increasingly reduced throughout Europe with a positive impact on the overall quality of the air. Here is a list of countries where emissions are lower and the air is cleaner

ACEA presented its proposal for the so-called "Extended Vehicle", which plans to channel all communications and data via servers owned by the manufacturer of the vehicle in order to guarantee upgradeability, accessibility, data security and privacy protection. According to EGEA as well as others, this could be a dangerous instrument to be used by vehicle manufacturers to gain an unfair advantage over the market.

According to Dipak Raj Pant, an experienced field anthropologist, economist, founder and current head of the Interdisciplinary Unit for Sustainable Economy, at the Carlo Cattaneo University, where he teaches 'Sustainable Economic Policy and Management', the technological developments currently taking place, such as connected cars and autonomous driving, must be carefully analyzed before they can be fully absorbed in order to reduce the risk of negative repercussions on the entire socio-economic system.