7:40AM Chairs Opening Remarks

7:45AM Developing Future-Ready Seating Systems That Enable Added Functionality

• How to reduce complexity whilst achieving ‘smart’ individualism
• Analysing the key trends & market dynamics in next-generation advanced automotive seating
• Investigating customer preferences and understanding their changing functional and technology expectations
• Identifying the parameters and technologies driving next-generation advanced automotive seating systems
• Defining the standards and requirements for future, safe, connected, versatile, predictive, intelligent seating systems

8:00AM Re-Thinking Seat Utility: Redesigning Seats & Interiors To Meet A New Set Of Customer Needs

• Strategies for seating in a semi and fully autonomous future – is there more to it than just next-generation reconfiguration?
• Strategies to provide flexibility in seating systems for autonomous car users
• Seating system development concepts
• The challenges of different and changing seat positions – rotating, reclining, folding, removable and retractable seats
• When and how occupants might take/relinquish control of a vehicle, be permitted to change position or be compelled to return to a straight-ahead position

8:25AM The Cockpit Of The Future: New Intelligent Seating Ecosystems

• Today a seat needs to keep you comfortable and safe, but tomorrow passengers will be expecting it to do much more
• ‘Active Wellness Concepts’ and ‘Smart Seats’ – what are they, and when will we see them in the mass market?
• Integrating contactless sensors, infrared cameras and bluetooth to collect data on drivers physical and mental condition
• Analyzing physiological data and applying counter measures to mitigate sickness, stress, discomfort, drowsiness and readiness to operate controls.
• The Future of AI in Automotive Seating Systems – Translating driver condition into personalised automations

8:45AM Advanced Safety Solutions For Next-Generation & Autonomous Vehicles: Flexible Vehicle Interiors Centered Around Reconfigurability

• Flexible seating and reconfigurability challenges traditional safety systems – “Dynamic Safety Repositioning” and “Adaptive Safety” as a solution? Addressing the challenges of different, and changing seat positions and seat structures
• How to achieve safety in all seated positions – New safety systems solutions for seat belts/restraints and airbags
• Reviewing seat development and interior configuration concepts for autonomous vehicles
• Safety as a top priority: When and how occupants might relinquish control of the vehicle or be permitted – or prevented from changing position
• New challenges for seat track systems for moving seats
• Visualisation and Simulation: Best solutions in design, manufacturing, testing and simulation

9:05AM The Drive To Cut Weight: How To Achieve The Best Material Optimisation and Value Optimisation: Combining Optimization and Modern Product Development Methods To Achieve A Lightweight Design

• Reviewing new materials, multi-material mix, and manufacturing processes for advanced next-generation lightweight seat structures
• Increasing usage of lightweight and Composite Materials such as Aluminum, Magnesium, High Strength Steel (HSS) and Carbon Fibre to reduce the overall weight of seating system
• Opportunities for metal replacement with multi-material systems
• Reducing the number mechanisms – whilst increasing functionality
• Examples of how OEMs have recently taken advantage of material innovation
• How further multi-material design can unlock the limitations of conventional design

9:25AM [Case Study] The IStream Lightweight Automotive Seat

Gordon Murray, Design & Transcal

• How can a 30% weight saving be achieved? Taking examples from the iStream
• Analysing the economic and environmental benefits of the iStream
• Exploring further automotive and non-automotive designs and applications for the seat

9:45AM Networking Break & Morning Refreshments

10:15AM Edison2: The Effects Of Autonomous Cars On Interior Design

Oliver Kuttner, Founder & CEO, Edison2

• Changing established market segments through different  market expectations.
• New “shared use” business models effect on interior layout expectations.
• Effect of Climate change on the industry.
• Opportunities arising from shared autonomous cars.

10:35AM Seat Structures – Light Weighting And Cost Effectiveness of Advanced High Strength 3rd Gen Steels

• Which advanced steel options offer the best choices for seating structural systems?
• The evolution of lightweight seat structure designs: best practice in transitioning from Internal Combustion to Electric and Autonomous seating configurations
• Cost of light-weighting versus cost increase in technology and of battery for EV range increase
• The mass saving premium for the various light-weighting options for automotive seat structures
• The light weighting and cost effectiveness offered by Advanced High Strength 3rd Gen Steels applied to seat structures

10:55AM Mass Production of Thermoplastic Composite Seat Shells using One Step Hybrid Moulding Process

Pal Swaminathan, Technical Marketing & Business Development, TEPEX Automotive | Lanxess Corporation

• Organsheet with Ultra-thin wall thickness
• Lightweight design
• One step hybrid moulding process
• Cycle time less than 60 seconds

11:15AM The Future Of Magnesium In Lightweight Seating

International Magnesium Association

• Where are the opportunities for replacing conventional material choices with Magnesium- [Case Study] success stories
• Features and advantages of magnesium alloys
• Broad prospects for the development of lightweight structure materials

12:15AM Testing, Inspection And Certification: Seating And Interiors Validation Opportunities

Element Materials Technology

• Identifying and resolving gaps in testing standards
• Closing the gap between simulation and testing

12:35PM Composites: Replacing Metal 

Dr. Fabio Bressan Ph.D, Virtual Engineering Manager, Solvay

• Optimising weight advantages – things to know when replacing metal with plastic parts
• Performance seats are exemplifying the technology where composite back shells are glued to metal structural components
• Performance seats now incorporate ultra-stiff, ultra-light rim composite technology: Case Study

1:00PM Luncheon In The Networking Exhibition Area

1:45PM Gaining The Ergonomic Edge With Interface Pressure Technology

• Mitigating passenger stress factors through physiological data analysis
• Use of latest technology integration to collect and act on data to increase passenger safety and comfort.

2:05PM Innovative joining technologies enable future lightweight seats 

Dr.-Ing. Markus Wagner, Component Design / Business Unit Joining, Fraunhofer IWS Dresden, Germany

• Lightweight design approach for future automotive seat structures
• Multi-Material lightweight designs
• Steel-aluminum design
• Metal-composite design
• Lightweight designs with steel
• Laser welded patchwork structures
• Local Laser-Strengthening
• Conclusions

2:25PM Will The Entire Seat Of The Future be Glued Together (Adhesive Bonding)

Dr. Holger Fricke, Head of Department for Adhesive Bonding Technology, DVS-EWF-European Adhesive Engineer (EAE), Auditor according to DIN 6701, Fraunhofer-Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM – Adhesive Bonding Technology and Surfaces

• Ensuring reliability, flexibility, insulation and sealant tolerances with adhesive bonding
• Which professionally designed bonding processes offer the most seamless integration into series production? 
• Benefits of bonded over welded joints

2:45PM Lightweight Foam Advancement: Weight, Durability, Sustainability

• The future lightweighting opportunities of foam: next-generation automotive seating
• Achieving the right blend of comfort, safety and sustainability
• Where will we see the next innovations in foam solutions? 
• Environmental performance: Foam that eliminates harmful emissions from foam production
• Recyclability: New geometries of materials that do not require the same traditional foams – foam alternatives
• Low profile foam and advanced materials

3:05PM Lightening Up Through Topology Optimisation

Richard Yen, Senior vice president, Strategic Solutions Team and Global Automotive Business, Altair

Anthony Norton, Vice president, Americas, Technical Operations, Altair

• Tools for structural design and optimisation to help with topology optimisation
• Innovative design, materials, engineering, and manufacturing approaches
• How topology optimisation works with additive manufacturing how topology optimisation works with additive manufacturing

3:30PM The Future Vehicle Layout – Second And Third Row Seats

3:55PM Standardising vs Innovating Metal Structures And Mechanisms

• How to better leverage existing structures and mechanisms for the future?
• Transferring advanced materials into mass production
• Metals, Forming and Joining
• How do you reinvent rather than carry over design: exploring new innovation in seat structure design
• Exploring the opportunity of replacing two mechanisms with one mechanism
• Casting innovation for seat frames: Magnesium High pressure die-casting
• Two Mechanisms- replaced with one mechanism
• Front-Row Architecture: Block height of the Hpoint
• Rear Seat systems and Architecture

4:20PM Implementation Of Industry 4.0 Protocol For Automotive Seat Manufacturing

• Successfully translating comfort requirements into an Industry 4.0 environment
• Which new technologies are enabling a previously unachievable design? 
• Big Data analysis and feeding it back into design, engineering and production
• Automation of operations, predictability and reduced scrap rates
• Derive the most value for the opportunities that Industry 4.0 Manufacturing Promises
• Incorporating digitalisation into your manufacturing roadmap – what are the opportunities for key players in the value chain and how does it offer a complete path to fulfilling customer expectations?
• Collect end-consumer data and flow it back to one piece of equipment or equipment in combination with a given material
• Automation of operations and the predictability of operations
• Reducing scrap rates, tied to a certain link of equipment, material, supplier, time period
• How to achieve greater flexibility to react quickly to new developments and changing requirements

4:45PM Afternoon Networking Session & Refreshments

5:10PM Trim and Fabrics: A “Zero Wrinkle Initiative” Reducing Thickness Whilst Maintaining Quality And Durability

• Exploring material solutions for cost vs quality vs weight vs thickness including thickness of inserts
• How to increase durability and comfort without increasing cost
• How to better towards preventing mid-project Value Optimisations
• Removable trim covers – a feature that could become more common: especially with predictive increase in ride-sharing
• How to match the proper lightweight frame, leather finish, pattern and grain with a vehicle segment and platform
• Just-in-Time (JIT) assembly for automotive seat Manufacturing
• Luxury vs seat system performance Aligned lamination, surface material, and innovation strategies to ensure best practices in product quality

5:35PM Providing The Best Solutions Comfort, Quality, Durability At An Affordable Cost

•  Comfort, Compact Form Factor, Safety, Digital Convenience & Aesthetics: The Primary Criterions for Innovation

6:00PM Increasing Movement Whilst Reducing The Number Of Mechanisms

6:25PM Stringent Safety Regulations: Developing Next-Generation Safe and Reliable Automotive Seats

• Standards And Requirements Of Future, Safe, Connected, Intelligent Seating Systems

6:45PM Overcoming Challenges In Second- And Third-Row Seats To Enable Modern Lifestyles And The Future next-gen and autonomous Vehicle Layout Capabilities

6:45PM Chairs Closing Remarks

6:50PM All Attendee Networking Drinks Reception