On September 18, 2025, the CEE Automotive Transition conference focusing on the future of the automotive industry, was held in Budapest at the Bálna event center. Organized by the ZONE Cluster and with the active support of the Hungarian Battery Association, the event was Hungary’s only truly international automotive industry professional forum. The event primarily provided the sector’s decision-makers, suppliers, developers and partners with a comprehensive picture of the transforming mobility ecosystem.

The conference awaited participants with a richer program than ever before, who could participate in two section rooms, B2B matchmaking events, an exhibition area and related workshops. In addition to professional depth, the presentations explored the trends, dilemmas and strategies that determine the future of the automotive industry in Hungary, in the region and throughout Europe.

The main theme of the event was the paradigm shift: how to adapt to technological, market and geopolitical changes and how to develop effective strategies for the future. In the plenary program, experts and decision-makers from 15 countries gave presentations about the challenges of electrification, self-driving technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and sustainability. The experts also discussed the fate of the European automotive industry in global competition, the possibilities of entering the Chinese market, and dual-technology synergies.

The plenary program was also complemented by three roundtable discussions. In the panel discussion titled “Cross-sectoral potential, research into dual-use innovations in different industries”, Dr. Zoltán Weltsch, Research Director of ZalaZONE InnoTech, participated and contributed to the professional discourse.

The CEE Automotive Transition conference was not only a professional event, but also a meeting place for professionals who want to shape the future in the field of mobility and smart city solutions.