*Challenged but ready
While the challenges ahead are enormous, vehicle logistics providers in Europe feel well equipped to meet them. This was one of the central messages of the recent ECG Annual Conference held on 17/18thOctober in Berlin, Germany. ECG – The Asssociation of European Vehicle Logistics gave it the heading – “Fly Me to the Moon – Tomorrow’s Industry Today“.
Falling sales figures for cars in China and Europe, trade conflicts between the European Union and the United States as well as between the US and China, and debates on environment and climate protection are just some of the problems facing the car industry and, as a result, vehicle logistics providers today. Tomorrow’s challenges are also just around the corner.
ECG President Wolfgang Göbel, Chief Sales Officer of the German company Mosolf, cited, amongst others, online car sales reducing the number of car sellers, changing mobility preferences, sharing cars instead of buying them and the electrification of road transport.
“Never before have changes come so rapidly and tomorrow they will happen even faster,“ said Mr. Göbel. However, ECG members feel prepared. A long standing and highly productive working group on digitalisation and a recently created one on sustainability both help to prepare members for the future. Together with the car manufacturers (OEMs) the service providers have developed a standardized forecasting tool which helps to avoid inefficiencies on both sides. “But most important for raising awareness amongst our members is our annual conference,“ he underlined. In Berlin ECG members and other delegates followed presentations on the market situation and on future developments in the automotive industry.
ECG is the established platform for the automotive logistics sector bringing together logistics service providers, manufacturer logistics managers and suppliers to the sector. ECG aims to facilitate non-commercial collaboration between member companies and assists them in sharing best practices in many operational areas, especially the harmonisation of operational standards.
Attended by Fleet Transport magazine, the ECG Conference 2019 entitled “Fly Me to the Moon – tomorrow’s Industry Today” was held on 17/18th October at the Hotel Palace Berlin. Almost 300 delegates from the Automotive and Finished Vehicle Logistics industry gathered to discuss issues ranging from sustainability to advanced supply chain technologies. It remains the largest gathering of professionals from the finished vehicle logistics industry anywhere in Europe.