Forum Automotive Logistics
FAL 2025 – the industry meeting at the heart of the German semiconductor industry
Semiconductors, transport processes, packaging, artificial intelligence, international competition - at the 13th Automotive Logistics Forum in Dresden, a wide range of topics were discussed that are currently affecting companies in the supplier industry. The highlight of the event was the presentation of the VDA Logistics Award.
Semiconductors, transport processes, packaging, artificial intelligence, international competition - at the 13th Automotive Logistics Forum in Dresden, a wide range of topics were discussed that are currently affecting companies in the supplier industry. The highlight of the event was the presentation of the VDA Logistics Award.
Under the title "The new Age of Exploration - all hands on deck", the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and the Federal Association of Logistics (BVL) invited people to the 13th edition of the Automotive Logistics Forum on February 18 and 19, 2025. The annual two-day conference offers an important platform to come together in person and exchange ideas intensively about the most exciting approaches and methods of current industry topics.
Around 350 decision-makers and experts from the fields of automotive, logistics, semiconductors, information technology as well as research and science accepted the invitation to Dresden.
The event team chose Dresden as the venue for the FAL for a special reason: the city and its surroundings are home to Europe's largest microelectronics ecosystem, which includes manufacturers, suppliers and educational institutions.
In December 2024, another major milestone followed for the Dresden site: Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck officially announced the start of joint investments in the construction and operation of a state-of-the-art chip factory with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and its partners Bosch, Infineon and NXP. The ESMC chip factory, which focuses on the automotive market, is paying off for Germany as an entire industrial and technology location - because by creating secure and reliable access to semiconductors, jobs, added value and innovations, Germany will become more competitive and independent of the global market.
The focus of the FAL was the exchange and debate on the development and relevance of new digital technologies. The fact that the major economies are competing for supremacy in new technologies and are increasingly isolating themselves from one another is leading to lower efficiency and higher costs, said Dr. Marcus Bollig, VDA Managing Director for Product and Value Creation, in his welcoming speech. And he emphasized how important the right conditions are for the development of innovations and sustainable business:
Increasing protectionism leads to lower efficiency and higher costs - which ultimately endangers growth, prosperity and jobs - and harms the climate because innovations are delayed or do not occur. This makes the use of artificial intelligence, data sharing and automation all the more important, as they not only enable us to cope with the complexity of global supply chains, but also to operate more sustainably.Dr. Marcus BolligVDA Managing Director for Product and Value Creation
The guests were also welcomed by Kai Althoff, Chairman of the Board of the Federal Logistics Association (BVL). He spoke about the importance of all industry representatives working together to "bring the automotive industry in Germany and Europe forward again."
No other industry is undergoing a similar transformation as the automotive sector. Geopolitical shifts, the question of semiconductor supplies, difficult location and infrastructure conditions and poorly predictable sales trends are additional challenges for the industry. Logistics is the link for everything and must successfully accompany the changes. This year's Automotive Logistics Forum is dedicated to exactly this complexity.Kai AlthoffChairman of the Board of the Federal Association of Logistics e. V. (BVL)
A stable semiconductor supply, the role of artificial intelligence in optimizing transport and storage processes and the question of how digitalization will determine the supply chain in the future pose major challenges for companies in the supply industry in Germany. Therefore, the focus of the lectures and discussion rounds was on key approaches and methods, innovative concepts and long-term strategies to survive in international location competition and remain a leader.
Top-class speakers from the industry and science
The exchange between participants, many opportunities for networking and personal discussions with experts during the program items and during the festive evening event have been characteristics of the FAL for years. In total, around 50 speakers made an important contribution to the content of the program with their keynotes, specialist presentations and discussion rounds.
Simon Motter, Chairman of the Management Board of Volkswagen Group Logistics GmbH & Co. OHG, gave an overview of the current challenges and opportunities in the logistics industry in the Coffee Talk program format. You can read an interview on the topic that we conducted with him on the occasion of the FAL here:
The program included 16 items and extensive sessions on various key topics, which were discussed on two stages with all interested parties.
Some sessions in brief:
Logistics in the aftermarket – the market for spare parts, accessories and services offered after a vehicle has been sold – is characterized by the fact that it reacts flexibly to new challenges and continuously exploits optimization potential. Such potential can be successfully leveraged - for example, through revised processes, further training for employees and optimizations in procurement or storage concepts.
The main topic of the session: challenges and opportunities associated with the introduction of the SAP4-HANA software product line. SAP HANA (High-performance ANalytic Appliance) is a multi-model database that stores data in memory instead of on a hard disk, enabling advanced analyses and high-speed transaction processing to be carried out in parallel in a single system. Another advantage: companies can process huge amounts of data in almost real time and query data immediately. In addition, different approaches (brownfield - greenfield) were presented, which the participants then discussed controversially.
The European Parliament's Ecodesign Regulation stipulates that in future almost all products sold in the EU must be provided with a digital product passport (DPP) in order to increase the transparency of the entire value chain. Implementation is associated with many industry-specific challenges that companies must take into account. In the automotive industry, the areas of development, production and operation of vehicles are particularly affected.
In the session, participants specifically looked at the need for action from the aftermarket's perspective. In addition, solutions were presented as to how data exchange within the automotive supply chain can be standardized. This is done using the example of the "Digital EU Product Passport for Batteries", which will be mandatory from 2027 and thus marks the start of the DPP.
Sustainability, efficiency, transparency of processes and changes in laws and regulations require further digitization of transport processes. The VDA has been supporting this development for decades with the VDA recommendations on electronic message exchange. With "VDA 4999", a recommendation for an almost completely paperless transport process was published in 2021. The eFTI regulation (Regulation on electronic Freight Transport Information) with the possibility that electronic consignment notes (eCMR) must be accepted by the authorities in the EU accelerates the digitization of the transport chain in our opinion.
In their practical reports, Rabea Bartylla (Robert Bosch GmbH), Jenny Hertzfeldt (VDA), Alois Labermeyer (Labal GmbH), Angela Schulte (Robert Bosch GmbH), Michael Späth (Elsen Group), Maria Straus (Mercedes-Benz AG) and Jörg Walther (Odette International) presented existing standards, experiences and challenges in the implementation of paperless transport processes. They looked at the steps from goods issue and transport to goods receipt and freight invoicing.
The ecological design of packaging and its path from production to disposal have a significant impact on the environment - that is why sustainable, recyclable and at the same time functional solutions are important. The aim of the industry is to use materials correctly and make packaging concepts more efficient, reduce waste, promote recycling and thus minimize the ecological impact of packaging.
Under the motto "We'll pack it!" Katalin Elizondo (Robert Bosch GmbH), Carolin Rauch (AUDI AG) and Markus Feurer (Feurer Group GmbH) reported on the future of packaging and the regulatory framework. The focus was also on the new VDA recommendation on packaging materials and concepts, which offers a guideline for efficient and environmentally friendly packaging solutions and prepares the industry for future legal requirements. The publication addresses the entire value chain - from the packaging manufacturer to the suppliers and commercial customers to the waste disposal companies.
Tip: Podcast by BVL and VDA on the topic of "Packaging and packaging waste in industry and logistics"
Legal requirements such as the EU Packaging Regulation impose some very ambitious regulations on the automotive industry in order to drastically reduce the environmental impact of packaging. In this podcast, Katalin Elizondo and Sascha Gröbel, head of the logistics department at the VDA, discuss how the industry in this country is preparing for the upcoming regulations.
Semiconductors are one of the main components of microchips, which are used primarily in the automotive industry. The main areas of application include control units in which they regulate the drive and driving and braking behavior, as well as driver assistance systems and airbags.
The session provided an overview of the global semiconductor market and discussed investments in the semiconductor ecosystem at the Dresden site. The focus was also on current and future challenges in the global semiconductor supply chain and the opportunities that arise from cooperation between the automotive and semiconductor industries.
Semiconductors: a central topic in many keynotes
A recurring topic during the two days of the event was the supply situation for semiconductors, which remains tense. Whether for use in electric cars or in the use of artificial intelligence, the demand for semiconductors will increase massively in the future.
For example, Maximilian Krane, Managing Director and CEO of btv technologies GmbH, spoke in his keynote speech about the current situation of the semiconductor market in Germany and the "component logistics as a service" approach in the context of increasingly complex requirements for component logistics. You can read his point of view in the detailed interview:
Presentation of the VDA Logistics Award
A highlight of the FAL was the presentation of the coveted VDA Logistics Award. The award shows the impressive innovative power of the automotive industry and annually recognizes outstanding logistics solutions that serve as a model for other industry representatives.
This year, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, a segment of Daimler Truck AG, convinced the jury with its "Electrify Inbound Logistics" concept, which relies on electric trucks in its own supply chain and thus ensures local zero emissions, and was chosen as the winner.
With its four production sites in Gaggenau, Kassel, Mannheim and Wörth, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is pursuing the goal of fully electrifying delivery traffic with production materials under its own freight responsibility. For example, delivery traffic in Wörth is to be fully electrified by the end of 2026, with the component plants to follow gradually. This will make a significant part of the direct supply chain locally emission-free. Together with freight forwarding partners, the company is working to gradually replace daily deliveries with electrically powered trucks.
The basis for this includes comprehensive route analyses with regard to existing and required charging infrastructure, economic considerations and feasibility analyses using test drives. The aim is to transfer all jointly gained knowledge into a sustainable series process. Since the start of the project in early 2023, almost 20% of the transports with production material commissioned directly by Daimler Truck have already been electrified.
Another highlight was the "Automotive Logistics Startup Scene" session, which took place for the third year in a row. Each of the four start-ups briefly and succinctly presented its solutions for automotive logistics and explained where it identifies opportunities for cooperation with OEMs and suppliers. These founders have also proven that our industry thrives on its innovative strength and tireless determination. The great potential that cooperation offers was also clear here: If the ideas of start-ups are combined with the experience of established companies, innovative solutions can be developed together for transport management, AI-based decision-making and the climate-neutral mobility of the future, among other things. In addition, partnerships help to drive and expand the competitiveness of the German automotive industry in an international context.
We would like to thank all exhibitors for their participation in the trade fair and presentation of their exciting products and services. We would also like to extend our special thanks to the FAL platinum partner btv technologies GmbH, the FAL gold sponsor DSV - Global Transport and Logistics, our media partner DVV Media Group and our other partners for the pleasant and successful cooperation at FAL 2025.
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Photo credits for all photos: Christian Lietzmann; Video Production: Matthias Sabelhaus
Questions about the event? Your contacts:
Sascha Gröbel
Team Lead
