Industry News
Events: 31st FISITA 2006 World Automotive Congress, Yokohama, 22-27 October
16th October 2006
Which alternative powertrain technologies offer the greatest potential to reduce emissions? Should the focus be on active or passive safety systems? How can the increasing demand for vehicles in developing countries be met on a sustainable basis? These are some of the questions that will be addressed at the 31st FISITA World Automotive Congress, taking place from 22 – 27 October in Yokohama, Japan to promote the international exchange of information between automotive engineers, industry, government, academia, environmental and other relevant organisations.
Plenary sessions will focus on the themes “Environment & Energy”, “Manufacturing & Logistics”, “Traffic Control & Transportation”, “Safety” and “Collaborative Engineering”.
In the opening plenary session, technical leaders from five manufacturers will discuss the key issues which they believe will drive the automotive industry in the next two decades. Among them are Lawrence D. Burns, General Motor’s Vice President Research & Development & Strategic Planning; Prof. Dr.-Ing. Burkhard Goeschel, member of BMW’s Board of Management; Jacques Lacambre, Chief Technology Officer of Renault; Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, President of Hyundai’s Research & Development Centre, and Motoatsu Shiraishi, President and Director of R&D of Honda.
More than 100 technical sessions will cover the 5 themes “Vehicle Design & Manufacturing”, “Powertrain Technology”, “Driver/Vehicle Interface, Information and Assistance Systems”, “Vehicle Safety” and “Transportation Challenges in Emerging Economies”. There is to be a series of four special sessions on Vehicle Safety Communications.
To support engineering students, FISITA will also organise its 8th Student Congress in Yokohama running in parallel to the main congress.
In addition to the plenary sessions and technical presentations, delegates can also attend an exhibition showing automotive products and services from OEMs, suppliers and engineering technology companies. Visits to the Japan Automobile Research Institute and Nissan’s Oppama plant are scheduled.
Founded in Paris in 1948, FISITA (the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Ingeniéurs des Techniques de l’Automobile/International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies) is the world body representing over 144,000 automotive engineers. FISITA brings together the national automotive engineering societies in 38 countries, including the JSAE, Japan's leading society of automotive engineers.
Dr. Akihiko Saito, Vice Chairman of DENSO Corporation and future President of the FISITA is to be FISITA’s next president, succeeding Daniel M. Hancock, Vice President of GM Powertrain, Engineering Operations.
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