Transformation in the automotive sector – WAYES at AGIS in Wolfsburg

Sunny is representing WAYES this week at the conference of the Working Group on Insolvency Law and Restructuring (AGIS) in Wolfsburg. The event is considered one of the most important platforms for professional exchange on restructuring in the automotive industry – a sector that is currently undergoing one of its most profound periods of change.

The automotive industry faces a multitude of challenges:

• digital transformation is accelerating innovation cycles and requiring new skills,

• misjudgements about developments in the Chinese and North American markets

• disrupted supply chains and geopolitical uncertainties are having a massive impact on planning reliability and competitiveness,

• and legal and regulatory frameworks are also constantly evolving.

The AGIS Conference 2025 will focus on precisely these transformation processes: from the opportunities and risks of e-mobility to the influence of regulatory requirements and issues relating to financing, jobs and restructuring strategies in the supply chain. The programme takes a practical approach to these aspects, with contributions on employer perspectives, supplier risk management, restructuring contributions from banks and manufacturers, and discussions on antitrust issues and successful self-administration. This is complemented by an exciting case study, a factory tour at Volkswagen and a networking evening in the Autostadt Wolfsburg.

This diversity of perspectives makes it clear that companies in the automotive sector need to develop new strategies – often under the auspices of restructuring and reorganisation. For us, it is crucial not only to observe these developments, but also to actively discuss them with experts from the fields of law, consulting and industry. This enables us to further strengthen our approach: restructuring is not just about crisis management, but above all about shaping the future.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to AGIS and its chairpersons Dr Anne Deike Riewe and Dr Rainer Eckert for their highly professional organisation and exciting programme. We would also like to thank all those involved for their new ideas – the dialogue shows once again that close networking between law, consulting and practice is crucial to successfully meeting the challenges facing the industry.