SCE ACCE 2025 keynote speaker promotes automotive circularity

Source | SPE ACCE

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Composites Conference & Expo (ACCE) has announced its first keynote speaker for the Sept. 3-5, 2025 event taking place in Novi, Michigan. Kristin von Szadkowski, field of action lead for sustainable product innovation at Volkswagen Group (Wolfsburg, Germany), will present “Composites and circular vehicle technologies at Volkswagon Group Innovation.”

The presentation will outline the materials and technologies targeted to help Volkswagen achieve sustainability goals with a focus on polymers and composites. The keynote will also highlight the development of sustainable automotive materials, establishing concepts for recycling and circular economy, as well as CAE simulation technologies for higher efficiencies in the development process as well as on the road.

“Our sustainability goals include reducing the CO₂ footprint per vehicle by 30% versus 2018 and selling 50% battery-electric vehicles globally,” says von Szadkowski. “By 2040, the Volkswagen Group plans to sell 100% emission-free vehicles in main markets. By 2050, the entire Volkswagen Group aims to become a climate-neutral company. Support and solutions from the automotive composites industry will help Volkswagen achieve sustainable mobility beyond carbon neutrality.”

This presentation will be an update and expansion of the keynote that was given at ACCE 2024 by Dr. Hendrik Mainka, principal program lead, Volkswagen Group of America.

Specializing in the field of robotics and mechatronics since 2009, von Szadkowski worked at the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). During her time at DFKI’s Robotics Innovation Centre, von Szadkowski was developing mobile robots. She began her position at Volkswagen Group Innovation in this field in 2014.

After a year of sailing sabbatical, she has since reoriented herself toward sustainability. In 2021, von Szadkowski took over the responsibility for Volkswagen’s global sustainability research program called Go.Sub-Zero. Today, she leads Volkswagen Group’s field of action “Sustainable Product Innovation.”