Live Blog from the AUTOMOBIL-ELEKTRONIK Kongress 2026

On 16 June 2026, the 30th AUTOMOBIL-ELEKTRONIK Kongress opens its doors in Ludwigsburg. Over two days, OEMs, suppliers, semiconductor manufacturers, software companies and technology providers will discuss the future of the vehicle. The agenda focuses on software-defined vehicles, AI in the vehicle, next-generation E/E architectures, semiconductor strategies, lidar, edge AI, open source technologies and the question of how technological concepts can be translated into scalable series-production solutions.

The anniversary theme connects 30 years of AEK with the major challenges and opportunities facing the industry. What role will AI play in future vehicle architectures? How will SDV platforms reshape collaboration between OEMs, suppliers and software partners? Which technologies can make the transition from demonstration, datasheet and pitch deck into real vehicles? And how quickly can the industry bring new functions safely, economically and effectively to the road?

Our live blog will accompany AEK 2026 with impressions from Ludwigsburg, insights from the stage, analysis of the key topics and highlights from across the network. We will also be covering the event on LinkedIn.

Florian Weig explains why BMW has to rethink its supply chain

Dr Florian Weig, Senior Vice President Purchasing & Supplier Network Digital at the BMW Group, focused on the future of the automotive value chain at the 30th AUTOMOBIL-ELEKTRONIK Kongress. His starting point was a supply chain that delivers 36 million parts to BMW plants every day, but which now faces very different dynamics, risks and dependencies in the digital and electronics domain.

Weig showed how strongly the framework conditions have shifted over the past decade. Geopolitics, regulation, tariffs, export controls, technological restrictions and the competition for compute are changing OEM purchasing and partnership strategies.

He expressed the software shift particularly sharply: “We see that C++, the world’s leading programming language, is being replaced by the simplest language: English.” What he meant was the influence of AI on software development and value creation. Code alone is losing some of its differentiating power, while architecture, documentation, robustness, standardisation and ecosystem management are becoming more important.

According to Weig, three things will remain permanently decisive for BMW: innovation, better overall systems and low cost. As key levers, he cited standardised systems, vertical transparency and collaboration, as well as resilient designs that can cope with uncertain geopolitical conditions.

His conclusion was that Europe’s industry can only compete with strongly vertically integrated rivals if it consistently combines standards, open-source approaches, data ecosystems such as Catena-X and resilient partnerships.

Lars Reger makes the software-defined vehicle tangible

Lars Reger, Executive Vice President and CTO of NXP Semiconductors, tackled a topic that has accompanied the automotive industry for years: the software-defined vehicle. Right from the start, he addressed the fatigue that sometimes surrounds the SDV acronym – in essence, everyone talks about it, but the practical implementation often remains vague.

Rather than relying on buzzwords, Reger focused on architecture, building blocks and the challenge of bringing together high-performance processors, zonal architectures, safety, security and real-time vehicle data. A key element of his presentation was NXP’s S32N7 Super-Integration Processor, which he positioned as a foundation for what he called the “Artificial Intelligence Defined Vehicle”.

On the technical side, Reger emphasised that AI cannot be viewed in isolation. It requires a surrounding architecture, robust safety mechanisms and secure data pathways. His central message was clear: the vehicle of the future is not simply “AI on wheels”. Whether AI, data and compute can be transformed into a safe and scalable vehicle concept ultimately depends on the underlying system architecture.

Magnus Östberg: AI, collaboration and orchestration will shape the car of the future

Östberg's starting point was the combination of 140 years of automotive history, 30 years of the AUTOMOBIL-ELEKTRONIK Kongress and an industry that has repeatedly had to reinvent itself.

For Östberg, innovation must ultimately reach the customer as a product that creates emotion, fits the brand and delivers real value. A central theme of his presentation was collaboration. Using Bluetooth as an example, he described how a shared standard was able to become a technology with enormous market momentum. “If you remember just one thing, remember collaboration,” Östberg said in essence.

For Mercedes-Benz, the software-defined vehicle today means a combination of in-house software, open source, licensed software and partner integration. Östberg described AI as an existing force in the vehicle, from voice functions to automated driving. At the same time, he warned of the “jagged frontier”, the boundary between impressive AI capabilities and the continued need for validation.

His conclusion was that, alongside collaboration, orchestration, automation and compliance will become decisive in determining which functions run in the vehicle, in the cloud or through an interaction between both worlds.

Ricky Hudi looks back on 30 years of AEK and hands over to Alfred Vollmer

Ricky Hudi opened the 30th AUTOMOBIL-ELEKTRONIK Kongress with a personal reflection on the event’s three-decade history. The long-serving Conference Chair traced the evolution of automotive electronics from early, often fragmented stand-alone solutions through connected vehicles and the connected car era to software-defined vehicles and AI-driven architectures. In doing so, he highlighted how closely the congress has been linked to the industry's technological transformation.

Hudi recalled that the idea for AEK emerged in the 1990s as increasing vehicle connectivity created a growing need for a platform where the industry could exchange ideas and experiences. He also reflected on the industry's past relationship with semiconductor suppliers: “There was a dinner, there was a meeting, there was a handshake. And there was a commitment. That was it.”

The opening speech also carried a personal note. Hudi looked back on a career that has largely run in parallel with the development of AEK itself. After several years as Chairman of the Advisory Board, he announced that he would step down from the role. “After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as Chairman to make room for new ideas and fresh momentum,” he said.

His successor is Alfred Vollmer, former Editor-in-Chief of AUTOMOBIL-ELEKTRONIK, whom Hudi wished every success in guiding the future development of the congress.