What differentiates the next generation of vehicles is shifting. From hardware to integration, from individual components to how interior, HMI, software, and electronics come together. The underlying technology is increasingly available to everyone. What is not: The teams capable of delivering it across regions, cultures, and disciplines.
Building and running these teams is no longer a single-site exercise. German engineering DNA, Japanese craftsmanship standards, Indian scale and software talent; the organizations that can integrate all three will set the bar for the next decade. The ones that cannot will be outplayed.
Join us on the 8th of June, 2026 at AHK Japan in Tokyo for a late afternoon session with Benjamin Nawka, Head of Design MFTBC, Head of Design and VP Design India at Daimler Truck Asia. Drawing on his unique, long career across Mercedes-Benz, Foton, Borgward, Daimler Truck Asia and Archion, Benjamin will share what he has learned about building and running global Interior and HMI teams across Germany, Japan and India. What works, what does not, and what European-anchored organizations in Japan can take away.
The keynote then opens into a moderated panel with Doru Tașcă, President of ZF Japan to bring in a different perspective on: Chassis, e-mobility, ADAS, electronics, but the underlying question is the same. How to run high-performance engineering organizations across Germany, Japan, and the rest of Asia. The panel will cover what travels well across these geographies, what does not, and what European-anchored organizations in Japan can take away.
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Costs: ¥6,600 (incl. tax)| for AHK Japan and EBC Members Only
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2026 | 15:45 ‐ 19:00 (JST)
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Learn more
AHK Japan
Program
Remarks
Capacity: ~30 participants | For AHK Japan and EBC Members only| Registrations are handled on a first-come, first-served basis according to availability
Registration Deadline: June 5th, 2026| Cancellation after the deadline or no-show will be charged fully
Co-host: EBC Automotive Components Committee
Moderator: Chris Seidel, Representative Director, Witzenmann Japan K.K. — EBC Automotive Components Committee Chair
Food and Drinks: Fingerfood and free-flow drinks
Registration Form
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Disclaimer ©2025 German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan). No part of this presentation may be reproduced without prior permission. While every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, no guarantees for the currency or accuracy of information are made. All material relating to information, products and services (or to third party information, products and services), is provided 'as is', without any representation or endorsement made and without warranty of any kind, including the implied warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, compatibility, security and accuracy. The speakers are solely responsible for the content thereof; In no event will the organizer and/or the speakers be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from infringement or any defect of rights of the content of the presentation. Views expressed are not necessarily those of AHK Japan. All our events follow Chatham House Rules.
