Car Center Automotive Research

What Car Center Automotive Research does

Car Center Automotive Research (legal entity: D+S Automotive GmbH) is a privately held, Duisburg-based automotive research institute and congress organizer founded around 2000–2003. The company operates a portfolio of industry conferences including the flagship CAR Symposium in Bochum (24th edition scheduled for October 2026), the international Car Symposium China in Beijing and Shanghai, the IT Symposium in Ingolstadt, Battery Day, New Mobility World, and the Ruhr-Symposium. These events attract over 1,200 participants and more than 100 partner companies annually, with keynote participation from C-level executives at Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Stellantis, Porsche, NIO, Valeo, and ZF, alongside tier-1 supplier and battery ecosystem partners such as Siemens, BASF, Umicore, CATL, and PowerCo.

The company's underlying technology footprint is limited; the organization is explicitly a research institute and event organizer rather than a technology company. Its secondary product, the CAR Auto Report, is a subscription-style research publication covering electric mobility, technology openness, e-fuels viability, and market analysis, supplemented by bespoke research studies sold to automotive industry stakeholders and media. The firm employs between 11 and 50 staff, has no disclosed external funding, and is independently operated under the legal representation of Jan Wortberg, with Helena Wisberth and Beatrix C. Keim (Director Business Development & China Projects) on the leadership team.

Car Center Automotive Research monetizes through three primary revenue streams: transaction-based participation fees from attendees and exhibitors at its multi-tiered congress events (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze sponsorship packages); recurring-style corporate partnership and sponsorship programs with the automotive OEM and supplier base; and professional-services revenue from custom research studies and the CAR Auto Report publication. Go-to-market is event-driven, anchored by direct enterprise engagement at flagship conferences, complemented by earned media coverage in the Financial Times, BBC, DW, ARD, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Business Insider, plus LinkedIn and newsletter distribution.

Name

Car Center Automotive Research

Legal name

D+S Automotive GmbH

Website

https://www.car-future.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Car Center Automotive Research is a Duisburg-based automotive research institute and congress organizer running multi-event industry conferences (CAR Symposium, Battery Day, IT Symposium) plus the CAR Auto Report publication for global automotive OEMs, suppliers, and battery ecosystem players.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Industry Events & Research

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive (EDABALAB)

Keywords

• Automotive congress organization
• Automotive research publications
• Mobility industry events
• EV battery conferences
• Automotive networking symposia

Headquarters

HQ city

Duisburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Participation Fees: Revenue generated from registration fees charged to participants attending CAR Symposium, Battery Day, IT Symposium, and other automotive congress events. Fees apply to both general attendees and exhibitors.
2. Partnership and Sponsorship Programs: Revenue from corporate partners and sponsors who participate in events at various tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and receive exhibition space, speaking opportunities, and media presence.
3. Research Reports and Studies: CAR Auto Report publication and custom research studies sold to automotive industry stakeholders and media outlets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Car Center Automotive Research operates as an automotive research institute and event organizer, publishing the CAR Auto Report and organizing major automotive congresses including the Car Symposium in Bochum, Car Symposium China, IT Symposium, Battery Day, and New Mobility World. The company produces research studies on electromobility, battery technology, digital transformation, and future mobility, and connects automotive industry executives, researchers, and suppliers through these flagship events.

Product overview

CAR Center Automotive Research operates as an automotive research institute that publishes the CAR Auto Report (periodic industry publication) and organizes major automotive conferences and symposia. The core offerings include the Car Symposium in Bochum (with over 20 years tradition, attracting 1,200+ participants), the international Car Symposium China, IT Symposium, Battery Day focused on EV battery technology, and New Mobility World. The organization connects industry, science, and research communities through events and publishes research studies on electric mobility, technology assessment, and market trends.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Battery Day: Automotive congress focused on EV battery technology trends and impacts, covering cell chemistry, battery materials, components, intelligent manufacturing, and lifecycle management.
• IT Symposium
• New Mobility World

Products and services

• CAR Auto Report Regular automotive industry publication providing analysis, studies, and reports on automotive market trends, electric mobility developments, and industry research findings. Targeted at automotive industry professionals and media outlets.
• Car Symposium (Bochum) Annual automotive congress held in Bochum, Germany, bringing together industry experts, OEMs, and researchers to discuss mobility innovations, sustainable transportation, and future automotive technology. Over 1,200 participants and 100+ partner companies attend annually.
• Car Symposium China International automotive congress held in China, organized alongside major auto shows in Beijing and Shanghai, connecting Chinese and international automotive industry experts.
• IT Symposium Annual technology-focused symposium addressing IT and digital transformation topics in the automotive industry.
• Battery Day Specialized conference covering EV battery technology including cell chemistry, battery materials, components, intelligent manufacturing, lifecycle management, and recycling.
• New Mobility World Conference focused on new mobility concepts, connected vehicles, and future transportation solutions.
• Research Results

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 participants annually at CAR Symposium
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BASF SEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBASF participates as a partner at Battery Day events, focusing on battery materials and recycling solutions. BASF is a leading global supplier of advanced cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries.
• SiemenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSiemens partners with Battery Day as Platinum partner, providing expertise in battery value chain ecosystems and battery accelerator solutions.
• UmicorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmicore participates as Platinum partner at Battery Day, specializing in cathode materials and battery recycling solutions.
• CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATL is a special partner at Battery Day, one of the world's largest battery cell manufacturers.
• NürnbergMesseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Car Symposium China events, bringing international trade fair expertise.
• Volkswagen AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner and keynote speaker provider at CAR Symposium events, representing one of the world's largest automotive manufacturers.
• Mercedes-Benz Group AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner providing executive keynote speakers and industry insights at CAR events.
• BMW GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner participating in CAR Symposium events with board-level speakers.
• PowerCo SEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolkswagen's battery company participates as partner at Battery Day, focused on battery production scaling.
• VISION mobilityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Battery Day events, providing coverage of mobility, connectivity, and infrastructure topics.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Automotive Industries: Long-running B2B automotive magazine and digital platform covering OEM strategy and technology. Comparable niche focus on automotive industry analysis and decision-maker audience.
• NürnbergMesse: Major German trade fair organizer and current CAR partner on Car Symposium China. Comparable as a co-organizer of international automotive/mobility events with tiered partnership economics.
• Messe Frankfurt (IAA Mobility): Operates IAA Mobility and other major automotive trade fairs. Comparable as a German-headquartered automotive event organizer with similar OEM/Tier-1 sponsorship model, though at significantly larger scale.
• Wards Intelligence (Informa): Provides automotive industry intelligence, data, and events including the Wards Intelligence suite and TU Automotive conferences. Direct peer in delivering research-backed automotive industry events and analysis to OEMs and Tier-1s.
• The Battery Show (Informa): Leading trade fair and conference for the advanced battery and EV technology supply chain, organized by Informa. Most directly comparable to CAR's Battery Day given overlapping focus on battery cell manufacturers, materials suppliers, and OEMs.
• Automotive News: Premier B2B automotive media brand operated by Crain Communications, providing industry news, events, and awards to OEMs and dealers. Closely comparable to CAR as a long-running automotive information/events franchise serving senior industry decision-makers.

Emerging players

• EV Magazine: Digital-first publication and event series focused on electric mobility infrastructure and vehicles. Overlaps with CAR's New Mobility World and Battery Day themes but with a narrower EV-only lens and smaller scale.
• Plugvolt: Specialized battery industry research and seminar organizer serving cell manufacturers, materials suppliers, and OEMs. Direct overlap with CAR's Battery Day audience and content.

Broad incumbents

• Informa Markets: Global B2B events and exhibitions organizer with a broad portfolio including automotive brands like Automechanika and The Battery Show. Comparable business model of running tiered-sponsorship trade events for vertical industries.
• ATZ/MTZ Group (Springer Nature): Publisher of leading automotive engineering magazines ATZ and MTZ with associated industry conferences. Comparable in combining technical automotive publications with industry events targeting engineering and management audiences in Germany.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/car-center-automotive-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Car Center Automotive Research