1st ICAI 2020

FOREWORD

Ladies and gentleman, dear readers, The automotive industry has been an integral part of modern society for the past century and a half. This sector is developing dynamically in a number of areas. The globalization of the world economy brings challenges to the automotive sector that are related to the optimal setup of value chains and supply chains. These must be reflected in national and supranational economic policies by establishing appropriate regulatory frameworks. For the automotive industry, technical and technological development brings opportunities in many fields, such as the use of new materials or the introduction of digital and information technology elements. The development of alternative drives combined with the pursuit of sustainable development presents a special challenge. Together with the introduction of new business models including the sharing economy, all the topics mentioned above also bring challenges related to the modernization of legal frameworks – including liability in the operation of autonomous vehicles, emission standards, protection of competition and others. All the above-mentioned issues naturally meet at ŠKODA AUTO University, where all its departments are fully engaged in dealing with them. Although the university is still young and has recently celebrated 20 years of existence, it has already become well- established in the international academic networks. We believe that holding the ICAI international conference is another step to help the exchange and sharing of information in these fields and that the ICAI will be a suitable platform for discussing the issues and will bring valuable information to everyone involved in the automotive industry.

Wishing you an inspiring experience.

doc. Ing. Pavel Mertlík, CSc.

prof. Ing. Stanislav Šaroch, Ph.D.

Rector

Conference Guarantee ŠKODA AUTO University

ŠKODA AUTO University