New Technologies, New Alliances: The Next Chapter for Automotive

The industry is re-sorting itself. In Japan two clusters are forming: Toyota with Subaru, Mazda and Suzuki, and Honda–Nissan–Mitsubishi, where Honda and Nissan since August co-develop the core ECUs and operating system of their software-defined vehicles. Volkswagen – the world's No. 2 – has approved the deepest restructuring in its history: up to 100,000 fewer jobs by 2030 and four German plants without a confirmed future. China exported 7.1 million vehicles in 2025 and is heading for over 10 million this year.

Japanese and European OEMs and suppliers face the same questions – scale, speed and secure supply – and that is where the opportunities lie: diversified battery material supply chains, for which the EU–Japan Competitiveness Alliance has opened the political door; shared SDV architectures and standards that cut the cost of catching up; and third markets, where both meet the same Chinese rivals. Consolidation is when partnerships are decided – this workshop puts European and Japanese companies in the same room. It is one of the highlights of this year's committee programme and leads into the EBC Digital Automotive Summit on November 19^th, 2026.

Topic Streams:

• Two defining shifts. EVs and software-defined vehicles are redrawing competitive lines in the industry and opening the door to new partnerships.
• Batteries. Why a resilient European industry depends on diversified material supply chains, and the case for an EU–Japan partnership.
• Software-defined vehicles. How the shift in E/E architecture is reshaping the value chain for OEMs, Tier 1s and Tier 2s, and how to compete with China's speed.

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