We’re hard at work organising the fourth Driving Vision News workshop, to be held in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show on 9-10 January 2012 . We’re building on the success of the 3rd workshop in Paris this past Spring, which very likely will remain a landmark for the more than 80 DVN Gold members who had the opportunity to attend. This forthcoming Detroit event is focused on the impact of innovation—particularly LEDs—on automotive lighting.
Although the predicted large-scale uptake of LED technology is unlikely to happen before the end of this decade, the inexorable march towards LED will have implications for all market participants, requiring alignment of products, styling, engineering skills, and capacities.
Clearly, LEDs are the right thing. But they’ll only achieve wide and deep market success if they’re done the right way. A lot of essential progresses need to happen to make that a reality, so we’re focusing the lectures and round tables at the Detroit workshop on LED technologies for styling, safety and the environment. How and when these new LED technologies will impact the US automotive market is the central question which will be discussed among automotive lighting players. Please take a look at the draft docket for the event, which you’ll find here in this week’s Driving Vision News update.
As of press time, around 30 companies or organisations have signed on to attend:
Automakers GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Hyundai, Audi, Mercedes-Benz;
Tier-1 lighting suppliers ACH, AL, Hella, NAL/Koito, Speaker, Stanley, Valeo-Sylvania, Visteon;
Tier-2 suppliers Astron-Fiamm, Brandenburg, DBM, Mitsubishi, Nichia, Odelo, Osram, Philips, Sabic , Sealink Int. ;
Universities NHTSA (tbc), UMTRI, and Rensselaer Lighting Research Center.
All together, we expect around 80 professionals, all DVN Gold members, who will turn this event into a landmark success through their active participation.
Save the dates on your agenda and confirm your participation by email . Also be sure to let us know if you’d like to set up a display booth; we’ve got a few spaces left.
Sincerely yours
DVN Global Editor