China Carmakers – closing the loop?

For decades, European automakers expanded into China to leverage its industrial scale, access a fast-growing market, and build strategic partnerships that enabled them to accelerate production and global competitiveness. Today, the dynamic is reversing. Chinese carmakers are rapidly entering Europe—not only as exporters, but by establishing local manufacturing, R&D centers, and operational footprints to compete directly within the core of the European automotive ecosystem.

This session will explore, from both a strategic and technological perspective, how this shift has unfolded. It will examine what Chinese manufacturers learned from their European counterparts, how they developed strong capabilities in electrification, battery technology, and software-defined vehicles, and what their expansion into Europe means for industrial competitiveness, technological leadership, and the future balance of the global automotive industry.