European regulators must promote innovation, urges industry body

Automotive suppliers in Europe are no longer sources of discrete components and systems, but more so solutions providers for clean, safe and connected mobility. That’s the view of CLEPA, the Brussels-headquartered European Automotive Suppliers Association.

While OEMs get most recognition for the end product, it is typically the supply base that designs, develops and provides most of the advanced new technologies that underpin these new platforms. This was evident at the 2017 International Auto Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, according to Sigrid de Vries, CLEPA’s Secretary General. European suppliers showcased how they “contribute to the future of new mobility,” she explained in an interview with Automotive World. “That is what the supplier industry is about, and that's what we are trying to voice as a trade association. Our members are the global solution providers representing a large part of the automotive industry.”