This was the 13th Conference Bordnetze im Automobil

The two-day conference in Southern Germany covered topics such as modular connector systems, automation, digital twins, high-voltage technologies, simulation, and emerging standards. Around 450 people participated. OEMs like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Ford, alongside key suppliers such as Dräxlmaier, Leoni, and Komax, as well as leaders from engineering, research, and consulting, presented practical solutions and strategic perspectives. Their overarching message: The industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation—and the wiring harness is becoming a key enabler of future mobility.

Opening Perspectives: Wiring Across Disciplines and Domains 

The opening session on 6 May set the tone for a conference that aimed to bridge visionary ideas with practical wiring strategies. In his welcome address, Georg Sterler, CEO of Tec-In and former Head of Wire Harness System Development at Audi, emphasized the strategic relevance of wiring systems for future automotive platforms and called for deeper cross-disciplinary integration.

His introduction was followed by Jörg Heynkes' keynote "Future 4.1 - Why we can only save the World with AI, or not at all" - a substantial title for a substantial topic. The entrepreneur, project developer, activist, and author at Jörg Heynkes Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH highlighted how artificial intelligence can be instrumental in tackling global sustainability challenges, including within the automotive sector.

Fabian Rink, Project Leader for the Physical Wiring System at BMW, then offered a practical perspective by examining the wiring harness system of the BMW Neue Klasse. He underscored a paradigm shift toward modular, optimized step harnesses instead of customised, vehicle-specific solutions.

This transitioned into a dual presentation by Dr. Christoph Horn, Global Lead SDV at Accenture, and Hans-Jürgen Mantsch, Business Development Director MBSE and SDV at Siemens Digital Industries Software. The two experts showed how software-defined vehicles are reshaping E/E architectures, urging the wire harness industry to become more agile and software-oriented. A networking break followed.

Transparency and Modularity in Harness Engineering 

The next block focused on transparency and modularity in harness engineering. Georg Zimmermann, Senior Vice President at Vector Informatik, and Georg Bunkert, Area Product Owner for Process Tools at Vector Informatik, discussed an integrated modelling approach aligning zone and wiring harness architectures to enable consistent change management.

Stefan Glaser, Director of Product Management at TE Connectivity Germany, together with Tobias Söll, Assistant Manager for E/E Evaluation and Validation at Dräxlmaier, focused on the structural benefits of modular connectors and their role in increasing design flexibility and efficiency. Standardised connector kits could become game changers for scalability.

Daniel Dengel, Head of Business Development at Flexstructures, introduced a digital 3D form board concept aimed at enhancing real-time collaboration between OEMs and suppliers. This segment concluded with a networking lunch and trade exhibition.

Automation, Production Efficiency, and Digital Value Chains 

In the afternoon, the focus shifted to automation, production efficiency, and digital value chains. Marcel Quintus and Dr. Jerome Trommnau, Development Engineers at Mercedes-Benz, explained methods for automating ECU pin assignments and integrating testing earlier in the development process.

Christian Infanger, Director of the Product Group Harness Assembly at Komax, elaborated on how automated routing and continuous flow principles are revolutionising production efficiency - a paradigm shift in harness production.

Dr. Alexander Salinas Segura, Digital Business expert at Dräxlmaier, introduced the Asset Administration Shell as a digital twin concept to automate material data exchange throughout the supply chain.

Sven Neeser, Head of Development Excellence at Leoni, and Douglas A. Burcicki, Senior Director Automotive and Heavy Equipment at Siemens, jointly detailed how integrating PLM, ERP/MES, and costing systems with Siemens Capital can enable an end-to-end toolchain in harness development. This session ended with another networking break.

Power Distribution, Standardisation, and Industry Disruption 

After the break, the focus shifted to system stability, future-ready communication architectures, and the resilience of an industry in flux.

A research-oriented presentation by Michael Gerten, Research Associate at the Technische Universität Dortmund, examined transient disturbances in eFuse-based power distribution, comparing them with conventional fuses and showcasing testing methodologies for critical systems.

Naoshi Serizawa, Manager at Yazaki Corporation, provided insights into the emerging trend of in-vehicle optical networks and their potential for enabling high-speed data communication.

To wrap up the last block of the first day, Stefan Olbrich, Senior Strategy and Operations Consultant at Berylls by Alix Partners, offered a strategic outlook on disruptive forces in the wiring industry and emphasised the need for operational excellence to stay competitive.

At the evening networking event at Reithaus Ludwigsburg, participants concluded the first day of the event.

Automation, HV Systems, and Protection Concepts 

7 May was opened by Conference Chairman Dr. Rainer König. The first presentation of the second day was a double act: Dr. Ingo Busche, Concept Development and Robust Design of Wiring Harness at Audi, and - once again on stage - Christian Infanger, Director of Product Group Harness Assembly at Komax, outlined an integrated framework for factory-level and in-vehicle automation of harness production across the entire value chain. "The goal is really 100% automation," said Dr. Busche.

Karsten Dieckmann, General Manager Design and Development Electronics Division at Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze, analysed global developments in low-voltage energy grid architectures, highlighting dominant topologies for the coming decades.

Wacim Tazarine, Teamlead R&D / Electrical and Electronic Systems at Autokabel, and Martin Schloms, Deputy R&D / Manager Application Technology at Autokabel, discussed the transition from cables to busbars and examined state-of-the-art switching technologies for high-voltage systems. Particularly noteworthy is the lack of a standard in this context. "Connection technology is very mixed these days, no standards have yet been established," said Schloms. A coffee break followed, during which the participants often deepened the relationships established the day before.

Simulation, Testing, and Heavy-Duty Applications 

The subsequent session focused on testing and heavy-duty applications. Martin Baumann, Development Engineer at BMW, presented modelling protection circuits in electronic power distributors and discussed fuse validation and prototyping techniques. "We are now also able to isolate faults much faster with electronic fuses," said Baumann.

He was followed by Dr. Raphael Pfeil, Product Manager at Vector Informatik, who compared MCS and CCS charging systems and introduced simulation and conformance testing solutions.

Christina König, Senior Manager Technology and Innovation Management at Kostal Kontakt Systeme, and Wolfgang Thater, Sales Director at Soma, highlighted innovations in connectors designed specifically for automated end-of-line testing. Lunch and networking followed.

Commercial Vehicles, Data Cables, and Virtual Testing 

The final sessions of the second day were kicked off by Serkan Akinci, Technical Leader at Ford Otosan. He explored the particular requirements of EDS wiring in 24V systems for heavy-duty trucks.

Dr. Jonathan Silvano de Sousa, Senior Cable Technology Specialist at GG, and Dr. Stefan Gianordoli, Head of Global Wires Development at GG, reviewed trends in data cables for automotive and special long vehicles, focusing on Ethernet and high-speed data standards.

Another CC employee followed: Dr. Lukas Faksa, Simulation Engineer R&D. Together with Dr. Fabio Schneider-Jung, Deputy Head of Department at Fraunhofer ITWM, he discussed simulation techniques for predicting cable fatigue caused by flexible clips in harness routing.

Faksa and Schneider-Jung were followed by a demonstration of virtual vibration testing methods: Patrick Brunner, R&D Automotive - E-Mobility at Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik, illustrated how simulation tools can reduce time and cost in connector development.

The final word went to Dr. Rainer König, who closed the conference with thoughtful reflections and a clear message: Innovation in wiring harness systems is more vital than ever in the era of electrification and complexity. 

Automotive Wire Harness North America

20-21 October 2025 | The Henry Hotel, Dearborn, Michigan