April 3~6, 2006 • Cobo Center • Detroit, Michigan • USA.

Anyone attending by any chance? I will be there!


http://www.sae.org/congress/

Dr. Burkhard Goeschel

Member of the Board of Management, BMW AG, will officially open the SAE 2006 World Congress at the AVL Technology Theater. Dr. Goeschel will introduce the first panel discussion of the event's Executive Management Conference: Innovation in the Automotive Industry. This is one of several discussions at SAE 2006 relating to the event's theme, "Driving Innovation through Partnership", as shaped by BMW Group. Dr. Frank Niederlaender, Director Strategy, Target Management, and Product Standards, BMW Group, will lead this panel discussion addressing the management of innovation as well as ideas for driving innovation through research.

Other panels, keynotes and sessions at the AVL Technology Theater and FEV Powertrain Innovation Forum are expected to include:

Diesel, Gas, or Hybrid — Innovation for Tomorrow and Beyond
Keynote Address Klaus Borgmann, Director Powertrain Development, BMW Group . Panel Session invited guests from DCX, Bosch, AVL, J.D. Power, Honda, Toyota, and more!

What Will Be the Future Transportation Energy Sources — And At What Cost?
Panel Session Moderator: Nigel Gale, Vice President, Southwest Research Institute Panelists: Christoph Huss, Senior Vice President of Science and Traffic Policy, BMW Group and other invited guests.

The Role of Motorsports in the Development of High-performance Sports Cars and Sedans
Herb Fishel, CEO, The Business of Motorsports, and former Director of GM Racing.

Safer Cars Through Crash Avoidance — New Solutions
Keynote Address: Robert Yakushi, Director of Product Safety, Regulatory and Accessory Quality, Nissan North America, Inc. A panel discussion follows, led by: Josef Haberl, Director, Vehicle Safety, BMW Group.

Innovation in the Automotive Industry
Dr. Frank Niederlaender, Director Strategy, Target Management, and Product Standards, BMW Group .

The Quest for Manufacturing Success in the USA
Dr. Klaus Richter, Senior VP, Product Materials Purchasing, BMW Group and Prof. Dr. Clemens Schmitz-Justen, President, BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC, BMW Group .

New Applications for Vehicle Electronics and Telecommunications — Cutting Costs and Improving Customer Satisfaction
Keynote Address
Hans-Georg Frischkorn, Senior Vice President, System Architecture and System Innovation, BMW Group .

Innovation and Cost vs. Quality Considerations
A Panel discussion will feature Jack Little, CEO, The MathWorks and other invited guests.

Nano and Micro Technology, and MEMS — Redefining the Car of Tomorrow, Myth vs. Reality
Panelists: Dr. Rudolf Stauber, Vice President, Materials Development, BMW Group and other invited guests.