INTRODUCTION

“Accelerating Ukraine’s integration into the European vehicle industry’s supply chain”

In cooperation with UkrAutoprom, the Ukrainian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association

31st October – 1st November 2017, Leopolis Hotel, Lviv

A major inward investment trend has been gathering momentum in Ukraine in recent times, but has largely gone under the radar in terms of attracting the attention of the wider business community.

Major international automotive component manufacturers, led by Germany, Japan, North America and China, have been opening production facilities, primarily in Western Ukraine, to serve their global OEM customers whose vehicle plants are located just over the border in the EU.

This is allowing them to take advantage of Ukraine’s competitive wage environment, qualified labour force and the logistical advantages of proximity to the EU with which Ukraine enjoys a Free Trade Agreement.

In addition, Ukrainian’s domestic car, bus and truck manufacturers are closely monitoring the gradual upturn in the economy in anticipation of a positive impact on vehicle sales and demand.

The Ukrainian Automotive Forum will provide you with a unique platform to hear from and meet with all the key stakeholders in the industry, including:

  • Senior national and regional government officials who will outline coordinated strategies to support and stimulate investment in the growth of the automotive sector in Ukraine;
  • Regional and Country Heads of the major international and domestic component manufacturers, who are expanding their production facilities in Ukraine to serve their OEM clients in the neighbouring EU countries;
  • Top executives from Ukraine’s leading vehicle manufacturers, who will outline their companies’ development strategies, including plans to grow production and expand their model ranges and will discuss what is required to facilitate this;
  • Purchasing Heads of the major global OEMs, responsible for sourcing in the region, will discuss the opportunities to expand their sourcing programmes in Ukraine and discuss their experiences to date.

Plus: on Wednesday, 1st November there will be site visits for all participants to the production facilities of leading component manufacturers in Lviv region.

PROGRAMME

  • Government Measures To Boost Vehicle Production And Further Stimulate The Growth Of The Component Sector In Ukraine

     

    • In what ways can both local and national government support and stimulate the domestic automotive industry?
    • An overview of trends in new vehicle sales in Ukraine: to what extent are sales growing as the economy recovers and enters a new period of growth?
    • Has legislation to limit the import of used vehicles proved to be of help to domestic vehicle production?
    • Can we expect major international OEMs to set up local production in Ukraine in the foreseeable future and what needs to be done to make this happen?
    • The growth of industrial and technology parks to provide the infrastructure to support the development of the component sector
    • Appraising the growth rates of the market for electric vehicles and the outlook for domestic production. Charting demand from both the private and public sectors
      • For how long can the low wage scenario be considered a competitive advantage?
        • Production trends per segment: light passenger vehicles, buses, trucks, agricultural vehicles and machinery, specialised vehicles
          • To what extent is Ukraine an integral part of the European vehicle manufacturing supply chain?
  • Charting The Growth Of Western Ukraine’s Burgeoning Automotive Components Clusters

     

    • Case studies from the leading components manufacturers active in Ukraine on their experiences to date and their development strategies
    • To what extent is the Free Trade Agreement with the EU the key driver behind the growth of automotive component production? An overview of the tariff regime for export to the EU
    • Working with the customs service to ensure the smooth functioning of logistics and supply chain management
    • What have been the greatest challenges when working with the OEMs in Central & Eastern Europe: focus on quality and supply chain management
    • Is automotive engineering viewed as an attractive career path by the younger generations entering the employment market?
  • Case Studies From Ukraine’s Leading Vehicle Manufacturers: Development Plans And Strategies To Build Output As The Economy Enters A Growth Period

    • Strategic development plans of the leading domestic manufacturers
    • Industry view on how government can best provide support for automotive manufacturing
    • Investing in the latest technology: to what extent has this been possible in recent years given the challenging macroeconomic situation?
    • How to build on domestic Research & Development capabilities
    • Optimising business processes to improve efficiency and grow industrial output
  • Roundtable Discussion With Purchasing Directors From Central Europe’s Leading Vehicle Manufacturers: The Role Of Ukraine’s Component Manufacturing Base In Supplying OEMs in the EU

    Topics for discussion to include:

    • What is the growth in the share of components sourced from Ukraine?
    • Addressing supply chain and customs issues
    • To what extent is the decision to locate component production in Ukraine a joint decision between the component manufacturer and the OEM?
    • Which other components can be manufactured in Ukraine? Will we witness a trend for greater value-added and sophisticated manufacturing to be relocated to Ukraine?
  • Gala Evening Reception

  • Day Two: Site Visits To Major Component Producers In The Lviv Region