CU-ICAR to host leading Transatlantic automotive conference

GREENVILLE, SC – September 26 – 27, 2011 – Political and industry leaders will visit Upstate South Carolina in September for a leading automotive conference that will address competitiveness, economic development and the global auto industry’s future.

The 2nd Automotive Transatlantic Summit, Sept. 26-27 at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), will examine smart innovation processes, new trends in mobility and the implications for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers.

The two-day conference features a broad array of international experts in the automotive field addressing critical areas in American and European automotive competition.

To register, visit the conference website at http://www.cuicar.com/ats/index.html.

The conference is hosted by CU-ICAR and the Automotive Intelligence Center of Bilbao, Spain.

After a welcome by Clemson University President James F. Barker, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy are scheduled to give a joint keynote address.

Bernd Lange, a member of the European Parliament and Bureau and Committee on International Trade; and Malcom Harbour, a member of the European Parliament and Bureau and Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, also are invited.

Technical sessions include competitiveness of original equipment manufacturers and suppliers, the global future and the “2030 view,” and international research and development models.

Technical and other speakers are to include Ines Anitua, technical director of the Automotive Intelligence Center; Kathryn Clay, executive director of Clean Transportation America Alliance; and Max Metcalf of BMW Manufacturing Co.