2025-12-31

Table of content

1. Closing the year with industry
2. Why MotoSolutions: a place for real conversations
3. RSB at MotoSolutions: listening, contributing, connecting the dots
4. EngAI: a practical response to a challenging year
5. Market & Production: the reality behind the numbers
6. Industry sentiment: optimism without a clear roadmap
7. Production, energy & Fit for 55: the pressure points
8. Digitalization, AI & SDV: from support to necessity
9. Supply chain, geopolitics & shifting dependencies
10. Defense Sector: a signal of broader industrial change
11. Closing: Ending the year with clarity, not assumptions

Closing the year with industry insight

MotoSolutions was one of the last major automotive industry events of the year in Poland, making it a natural point for reflection. For the RSB Automotive Consulting team, attending the event was a conscious decision – not simply to be present, but to pause, summarize the past months, and look ahead at what lies in front of the industry. The automotive sector has gone through a year marked by significant change, growing pressure, and a clear redefinition of priorities across production, technology, and workforce strategies.

This was also the second year in a row that the RSB Automotive Consulting team took part in MotoSolutions. This time, however, our presence went beyond participation alone. Alongside engaging in discussions and exchanging perspectives with industry experts, RSB joined the event in a new role – as a solution provider. More on that shortly.

With this perspective in mind, MotoSolutions became more than a trade fair – it became a year-end reality check.

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Why MotoSolutions: a place for real conversations

MotoSolutions is a particularly close event for us, as it takes place in our home city of Kraków. The 14th edition of Forum MotoSolutions, held on 20–21 November 2025 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Krakow Hotel & Convention Center, once again brought together the Polish and international automotive community for two days of intensive discussions. As the largest automotive industry conference in Poland and one of the most important events in Central and Eastern Europe, MotoSolutions stands out not by scale alone, but by the depth of its conversations.

RSB at MotoSolutions: listening, contributing, connecting the dots

RSB Automotive Consulting operates at the intersection of consulting, talent, and technology. On a daily basis, we work closely with automotive organizations and engineers, discussing the very challenges that dominated the MotoSolutions agenda – from efficiency pressure and workforce changes to the growing role of digital tools. Events like MotoSolutions provide a valuable opportunity to confront these day-to-day observations with a broader market perspective and to test assumptions against real industry experiences.

As many of you may already know, this was not our first time at MotoSolutions. We also attended the forum last year and shared our reflections on the discussions and insights that emerged (read our 2024 recap here: Reflections from MotoSolutions 2024: Trends Shaping the Automotive Industry – RSB Automotive Consulting ). Much like this year, those conversations were diverse and sometimes marked by differing viewpoints. We do not always agree with every perspective – and we do not aim to. What matters is staying open to dialogue, exchanging arguments, and understanding the rationale behind different approaches shaping the automotive industry today.

This ongoing exchange of perspectives is exactly why MotoSolutions resonates with the way we work at RSB. This is also why we chose MotoSolutions as the place to present EngAI.

EngAI: a practical response to a challenging year

During MotoSolutions, we also used the opportunity to actively collect use cases from participants -engineers, managers, and quality experts – to ensure that EngAI remains as practical and relevant as possible in everyday work. These real-world conversations help us continuously refine the solution around actual needs rather than assumptions. In the short video below, Tom walks through how EngAI works and what it looks like in everyday engineering practice.

^{source: video from MotoSolutions}

If you would like to share your own use case or if the EngAI approach resonates with your current challenges, you can explore the solution further here: ENGAI – AI Engineering Secure and Standalone Platform.

Market & Production: the reality behind the numbers

The need for efficiency, automation, and smarter use of engineering resources discussed around EngAI is closely tied to the current market reality. Data shared during MotoSolutions provided a clear reference point for these reflections. While EU vehicle sales continue to grow year over year, the structure of the market is shifting, with around 10% of sold cars now originating from China. This global perspective highlights the growing influence of non-EU manufacturers, particularly China, whose increasing production capacity is reshaping competitive dynamics in the European automotive market (see figure below).

^{source:www.acea.auto}

At the same time, Germany is facing a wave of bankruptcies and plant closures across large automotive facilities, often without buyers willing to take them over.

Looking ahead to 2025, experts expect a continued decline in automotive employment, accompanied by further site closures – exceeding even the scale seen during the 2008 crisis. From a production perspective, current utilization levels remain at around 55%, underscoring how far the industry still is from operating at sustainable efficiency.

Yet despite these figures, the overall mood was not pessimistic.

Industry sentiment: optimism without a clear roadmap

Production, energy & Fit for 55: the pressure points

This gap was particularly visible in discussions around production efficiency and energy. Discussions around production and energy highlighted that the automotive industry is facing systemic pressures rather than isolated challenges. Current production operates at roughly 55% capacity, and experts do not expect a return to the high volumes seen in 2018–2019. Instead, around 80% is emerging as the new target for optimal production – achievable only through process optimization, digitalization, and high levels of automation. Energy prices have become a critical factor in competitiveness, influencing not only operational costs but also investment decisions and site viability. This assessment is supported by recent findings from Eurelectric’s Power Barometer 2025, which indicate that although wholesale electricity prices have eased from their 2022 peaks, they remain structurally volatile and above pre-crisis levels, continuing to shape cost pressure and investment risk for energy-intensive industries such as automotive manufacturing.

^{source: www.powerbarometer.eurelectric.org}

Infrastructure readiness was repeatedly identified as a major bottleneck. While new industrial buildings are increasingly designed to accommodate EV infrastructure and photovoltaic systems, national power grids are often unable to handle the necessary loads. Moreover, the energy sector is not yet fully prepared to meet the Fit for 55 requirements expected by 2035. These constraints underline that the path to sustainable and competitive production is tightly linked to both technological modernization and strategic energy planning. As a result, digitalization and automation dominated the technology discussions.

Digitalization, AI & SDV: from support to necessity

At MotoSolutions, our team at RSB was particularly active in discussions around digitalization and AI, sometimes sharing slightly different perspectives – after all, panels are meant for dialogue, not monologues 😉 These conversations perfectly illustrated why tools like EngAI (see: ENGAI – AI Engineering Secure and Standalone Platform.) are becoming essential: AI no longer replaces engineers but supports them, taking over repetitive and time -consuming tasks such as drafting, documentation, and reporting, so specialists can focus on more strategic and creative work.

^{source: personal archive}

A clear example was the accelerated design of EV batteries in various shapes and sizes, showing how digital tools and AI are shrinking design timelines from years to just a few months. Companies like Volkswagen and Renault are already leveraging 3DEXPERIENCE, and collaboration within the VAG group is expected to undergo significant transformation in the near future. SDV emerged as a symbol of this paradigm shift, illustrating that modern cars are now not just mechanical machines but complex software-driven platforms.

However, technology alone cannot eliminate external risks.

Supply chain, geopolitics & shifting dependencies

Global dependencies and geopolitical dynamics are increasingly shaping automotive decision-making. During MotoSolutions, discussions emphasized that the industry cannot be viewed in isolation – supply chains, logistics, and international relations directly impact production and strategic choices. Electronics and semiconductor producers, such as ZF and Nexperia, highlighted China’s dominant role in semiconductor manufacturing, creating potential bottlenecks for European automotive production. Geopolitical tensions, border disruptions, and blocked trade routes further complicate logistics, forcing companies to explore alternative solutions.

The table below summarizes key supply chain and geopolitical factors and their direct impact on the automotive sector. These uncertainties are also reshaping industry priorities beyond our industry.

Area	Observation / Challenge	Impact on Automotive
Semiconductors	China dominates global semiconductor production (ZF, Nexperia)	European production heavily dependent on Chinese supply, risk of bottlenecks
Logistics / Routes	Poland–Belarus border disruptions; blocked Silk Road	Delays in parts delivery, need for alternative routes
New maritime routes	Arctic “Sea Legend” route: 25 days from China to Hamburg or Gdańsk	Faster alternative for shipping, but dependent on seasonal/weather conditions
Geopolitical tensions	Regional conflicts, trade restrictions	Forces companies to rethink supplier diversification and risk management strategies
Strategic decisions	Supply chain fragility + energy costs	Influences site selection, production planning, and investment decisions

^{source: conference presentations}

Defense Sector: a signal of broader industrial change

Discussions at MotoSolutions left us with a strong professional and personal reflection on the broader industrial landscape. The defense sector is growing rapidly, yet lacks a clear long-term strategy, highlighting how uncertainty can shape talent allocation and investment decisions across industries. Some experts even suggested that, in the coming years, the defense sector could surpass automotive in terms of growth dynamics.

Another key insight was the increasing complexity of modern vehicles. The Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) exemplifies a wider industrial shift: today’s cars are often more complex than aircraft, combining advanced software, electrification, and connectivity. These discussions reinforced a central lesson – technological innovation alone cannot shield industries from broader global uncertainties, whether geopolitical, economic, or societal. For readers surprised by this comparison, a broader perspective on software complexity across industries can be found in the “Million Lines of Code” visualization, which compares not only modern vehicles and aircraft, but a wide range of complex technological systems: Million Lines of Code — Information is Beautiful

Closing: Ending the year with clarity, not assumptions

MotoSolutions became a natural point of reflection at the end of a demanding year – not a summary built on assumptions, but one grounded in real conversations, data, and experience. For us at RSB Automotive Consulting, it confirmed something we see every day in our work: the industry is not short on challenges, but it is also not short on potential. What matters is the ability to listen carefully, respond pragmatically, and build solutions that address real needs rather than trends for their own sake.

As we close this year, we do so with clarity rather than certainty – aware that the automotive landscape is still evolving, shaped by technology, geopolitics, energy, and people. And perhaps that raises the most important question as we head into the new year: are we reacting to change, or actively shaping it?

If you would like to learn more about RSB Automotive Consulting, our approach, or how we support engineering teams through consulting, talent, and technology, visit our website: Home – RSB Automotive Consulting or check our latest updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rsb-automotive-consulting/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/engaipro/

^{source: personal archive}

See you next year – with fresh perspectives and clearer priorities 😉