Haus of Automotive

Founded in 1972, Alcantara S.p.A. is an internationally recognised Italian brand that produces and markets Alcantara®, a premium material created through a unique and proprietary technology.

Renowned for its extraordinary combination of beauty, tactile appeal, and high performance, Alcantara is a superior material, chosen across luxury industries – including automotive, fashion & accessories, interior design, marine, aviation and consumer electronics – for its innovation, versatility, and unmistakable tactile qualities.

With a certified commitment to sustainability since 2009, Alcantara embodies a unique harmony between aesthetic and functionality, to evoke emotion and enable innovative design solutions. Continuously evolving, it inspires designers worldwide, transforming ideas into exceptional, emotionally engaging creations and elevating every surface it touches.

Autodesk is trusted by the world’s designers, engineers, builders, and creators to help them design and make anything. From the buildings we live and work in, to the cars we drive and the bridges we drive over. From the products we use and rely on, to the movies and games that inspire us.

Autodesk’s Design and Make Platform unlocks the power of data to accelerate insights and automate processes, empowering our customers with the technology to create the world around us and deliver better outcomes for their business and the planet. #MakeAnything. 

BADER – Crafting the future of mobile interiors.

As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of premium automotive leather, BADER is renowned for combining exceptional craftsmanship with forward-thinking innovation. By transforming natural materials into refined interior surfaces, the company helps shape sophisticated mobile living spaces for the next generation of mobility.
With sustainability embedded in its DNA – from responsible sourcing to its Zero Waste journey – BADER continues to set new benchmarks for premium and sustainable automotive interiors.

Explore BADER at Haus of Automotive

April 20-26 | 09:00 – 20:00 | Immersive Outdoor Exhibition
TOUCH. FEEL. INTERACT. WIN.

Leather Touch Lab
Compare different leather types (grain, softness, finish) using pillows, guided by BADER’s on-site experts. The perfect moment to have short, informal conversations.

Pillow Caleidoscope
Come over and check the new colour mix. BADER’s on-site experts constantly rearrange the abundant leather pillows throughout the day, creating a living installation.

Ask the Leather Expert
Short, informal conversations where visitors can ask anything – from sustainability to automotive interiors – or just the unique story about their favourite pillow.

Touch & Click Action
Take a selfie with the pillows and post the pictures on social media.

As leading OEM partner, BASF Coatings aims to provide innovative coating solutions that enable their customers to secure today’s manufacturing and tomorrow’s success. Reliable, efficient and sustainable. Guided by expertise and colored by innovation, BASF Coatings follows the mission to build reliable partnerships to empower their customers with coating solutions that enhance efficiency and value through sustainability.

When BASF Coatings writes success stories, they go far beyond a single shade of color. They create lasting emotional connections and elevate brand identity – through expertise, foresight and technical sophistication.

FORVIA HELLA is a listed, internationally active automotive supplier within the FORVIA Group. It stands for high-performance lighting technology and vehicle electronics and, through Lifecycle Solutions, offers a broad service and product portfolio for the spare-parts and workshop business as well as special-vehicle manufacturers. The Lighting business group comprises four product lines: headlamps, rear combination lamps, body lighting (including radomes, illuminated logos and Front Phygital Shields) and interior lighting.

FORVIA HELLA serves both premium and volume markets and has built a strong position in advanced lighting technologies through long-standing partnerships with almost all renowned OEMs worldwide.

Kontrolka is a leading HMI design studio, trusted by 17+ global OEMs to deliver strategies, vision design, advanced HMI concepts, design systems, showcars, UX/UI, visual and 3D motion design, prototypes, and design management.

With over 9 years of experience and 100+ projects delivered, our work is already part of 25M+ vehicles worldwide.

OEMs values Kontrolka’s excellence, speed, and flexibility. From vision strategy to developer-ready assets, Kontrolka shapes the future of mobility.

Amy is currently working as a Creative Consultant (for her own limited company) within the automotive, sustainability, material technology start ups and higher education sectors. 

Prior to this Amy was part of Bentley Design (for a short period) and Jaguar Land Rover Design, where she held a number of Senior leadership positions both within Design and in a recently expanded dual role that crafted and realised the formation of a thought leadership incubator within Business Strategy & Sustainability. 

Before joining JLR, Amy held Design roles at Hyundai & Kia Motors and numerous automotive suppliers.

Drawing on extensive experience at industrial design and branding consultancies in Europe and the US, Anthony is passionate about creating meaningful experiences that deliver lasting value. His portfolio spans consumer electronics, fintech, and industrial equipment, work that has been recognized by prestigious honors including Red Dot, IDSA, and iF Design awards. 

Now working globally with clients, Anthony has provided design leadership for multiple mobility and automotive OEMs on design-led digital strategies. Including General Motors, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover, Faraday Future, Lotus, Hyundai, Fisker, and Toyota, he helps define paradigm-shifting concepts that influence both near-term delivery and long-term vision. 

At Territory Studio, Anthony brings together the craft of Hollywood storytelling with the real world. He leads a design-led approach that not only sets new expectations but is deeply usable, culturally resonant, and designed for real-world impact. 

Ben joined Lotus in 2022 and has since led the design development of the brand’s allelectric lifestyle vehicles, including the hyperSUV Eletre and the Luxury Performance GT. In August 2023, he was appointed Vice President of Design for Lotus Group, taking responsibility for the creative direction of the entire brand and ensuring design coherence, strategic alignment, and forwardthinking leadership across the Lotus brand. His remit also encompasses guiding the evolution of Lotus’ design language, building on landmark statements such as the Theory 1 concept car.  

Lotus Group has continued to follow an ambitious plan to transform the company into a luxury, intelligent mobility brand by 2028, coinciding with its 80th anniversary. Ben plays a pivotal role in shaping this next generation of vehicles, helping to define the future identity and design philosophy of Lotus as it enters a new era. 

With more than two decades of experience in automotive design, Ben brings a wealth of expertise from influential roles at Aston Martin and Bugatti, complemented by diverse consultancy work with Makkina. His background positions him at the forefront of Lotus’ transformation, guiding the brand’s creative vision with both heritage awareness and progressive ambition. 

Carsten studied industrial design at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences and started his career in 2003 as a junior designer at the ID Studio of FORVIA HELLA Leuchten-Systeme GmbH in Paderborn. His responsibilities included supporting series projects and developing initial rear lamp studies.

When he moved to the lighting innovation department at FORVIA HELLA headquarters in Lippstadt in 2009, the focus of his work shifted to innovative lighting concepts, such as the prototype of the first OLED rear lamp. In recent years, he has been instrumental in the development of EdgeLight and FlatLight lighting technologies.

Following the merger of Faurecia and FORVIA HELLA, he was also responsible for the rear lighting of the FORVIA show cars Lumières, Horizon, Saphir and the Vision 2X test vehicle. As part of FORVIA’s sustainability activities, he also conceived and designed a rear lamp study with extremely reduced material use and energy consumption under consideration of repairability and recyclability.

His passion for light and his desire to push boundaries have been driving him for more than 25 years now.

Cesar, born October 15th 1967 in Barcelona, shifted from an early interest in architecture to car design in 1986. He studied Car Design in Modena until 1988, then Transportation Design at Coventry University, graduating in 1992, followed by a Master’s at the Royal College of Art-London in 1994.

The same year, he began his career working in Paris for a French manufacturer and later in Frankfurt for a Japanese brand. From 2002 to 2007, he was part of Volkswagen’s design team in Wolfsburg.

Muntada joined Audi in 2007 as Project Designer for the A4, A5, A6, and A7. Since 2010, he has led Audi’s Light Design team, driving under his leadership innovations such as digital light signatures, welcome animations, Functional Signals, Communication Light, and conceptual lighting for showcars. His work has helped establish lighting as a defining element of Audi’s identity.

Chris is an internationally recognised authority on materials and design. His eight books on materials and manufacturing, translated into six languages, have transformed how designers around the world approach and value materials. 

In 2006, he founded Chris Lefteri Design, a studio with a global reputation for bridging CMF, industrial design, and materials innovation. The studio has worked with leading consumer brands and Fortune 100 materials companies, known for its unique ability to merge industrial design, brand strategy with a deep expertise on materials. 

Chris is a public speaker and educator, regularly delivering keynotes, workshops, and training sessions for design teams, universities, and global conferences. His hands-on, insightful approach helps audiences understand not just materials— but how they can be used strategically to drive innovation. 

As the Head of Colour & Material Design for the BMW Group, Claudia is a creative innovator working at the forefront of redefining the sensory experience of future mobility. With a holistic approach, she seamlessly blends heritage, innovative materials and modern colour worlds.

Using smart technologies and the vision of circular design concepts she develops tailor-made interiors and expressive colors for BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce vehicles. Her purposeful and future-forward mindset focuses on creating a feel-good experience, addressing the needs of the customer with thoughtful and resourceful solutions. Working closely with the brand design studios of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, she shapes the individual character of each brand and enhances their haptic and aesthetic identity while drawing analogies with trends in fashion, furniture, and lifestyle.

Daniela has been part of Porsche AG since the age of 17, starting her career in 2008 as an apprentice in automotive interior upholstery.

What began as hands-on craftsmanship later evolved into a passion for colour and material design. In the Colour & Trim department, she worked on numerous exterior colours and was responsible for the latest Taycan Colour & Trim concepts.

Since October 2024, she has been working as a Design Strategist. In this role, she combines strategic observation with the translation of international fashion,
lifestyle, and design trends into ideas, concepts, and collaborations to further enhance the positioning of the Porsche brand across all areas.

Francesca is a design executive with several years of experience leading strategic projects to position design and materiality as a driver of innovation and identity.

As Head of Colour & Trim and Concept & Strategy Design, Francesca is responsible for overseeing all creative projects for SEAT and CUPRA brands, putting materiality and holistic experiences at the core.

Born in Milan, Francesca has a proven track record in the ideation and development of concepts and creative strategy in the automotive sector. She led trends, strategy and innovation at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design studio in Como, where she worked for over 16 years before joining SEAT in the 2018. Since then she leads the C&T department for SEAT and CUPRA brands.

Sangalli holds a degree in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano and an industrial design degree from Brunel University in London.

Gemma is a Maker, CMF Designer and occasional shopkeeper. She studied Printed Textiles at Central Saint Martins before completing her MA in Mixed Media Textiles at the Royal College of Art.  

Currently working as CMF Design Manager for Fitflop, Gemma has worked on projects across a number of sectors including Consumer Electronics, Automotive and Interiors and has been responsible for designing and developing the look and feel of products and ranges for Global companies such as Dulux, Clarks and Dyson.  

Inspired by visual journeys, the world around her and how traditional techniques can be reinterpreted for future environments in her own practice she carefully combines layers of colour, pattern and shape to create embroidered and printed textile outcomes. 

Gemma is also the founder of lifestyle pop up brand Nothing but Navy, established in 2011.  

As Head of the world renowned BA Programme Transportation Design at Pforzheim University, Jürgen possesses extensive experience in the field of transportation and industrial design and a great passion for education.

Since graduating in 2008, he has been working for various international companies like Kia Motors, Geely Design, Polestar and Volvo Cars.

Before returning to Pforzheim, Jürgen was a part of Volvo Cars Exterior Design leadership team in the role of Senior Design Manager, responsible for projects like the 360c or the recently introduced EX60.

Lowie is a Belgian designer and the Founder & Creative Director of Granstudio. With extensive experience in the automotive industry, including his role as Design Director at Pininfarina, Lowie has led award-winning projects for global brands before broadening his vision beyond cars to explore the wider future of mobility. 

For Lowie, design is a powerful form of human interaction. It influences how we engage with objects, environments, and one another, and in mobility, it can not only change how we move but also how we live and connect. His approach blends strategic thinking with creativity, putting people and context at the heart of innovation.

Built on 15 years of applied mobility design and XR innovation, Granstudio is a creative consultancy for Moving Experiences, combining automotive, interaction, and mobility design. The studio collaborates to sense opportunity, shape direction, and make ideas real, transforming ambition into user-driven, context-aware products and services. 

Maria is a visionary designer and has been Head of Colour & Material at Polestar since February 2022. Her career spans over decades of experience in the field of CMF, including leadership roles at Volvo Cars. She is responsible for creating a new C&M expression and works with her team to develop the materials, grains, and colours that define Polestar’s identity. 

Maria has a strong focus on sustainability in her design and is a key driver of Polestar’s sustainability efforts, which focus on climate, circularity, and transparency. She is known for her ability to drive change and make a positive impact in the field of material design and is a visionary thinker and dedicated professional, always seeking to push boundaries and create innovative solutions. 

Ever since Polestars award winning concept car Precept, Polestar’s CMF team has shown the way forward with new, innovative materials that show a new take on sustainable luxury for automotive interior. 

Most recently, Maria and her team have led the material evolution of Polestar 5, the brand’s flagship electric performance GT. Here, the team’s visionary concept design is showcased by the implementation of lightweight flax fibre composite and 100% polyester mono material systems that redefine the limits of sustainable luxury.  

Marie-Camille brings more than 15 years of global experience in the design industry, spanning advanced concept development and production delivery across multiple sectors and continents.

Since joining Lotus, Marie-Camille has led the CMF team with a clear vision: to ensure the next generation of Lotus vehicles seamlessly integrates sustainability with contemporary luxury. 

A driving force behind Lotus’ sustainable materials strategy, Marie-Camille is redefining benchmarks for both the brand and the wider industry.  

Mark is a leading global trend forecaster for the automotive industry on colours, materials and finishes.

Working as global head of design at BASFs Coatings Division with a long experience in design, forecasting and colour consulting, he has an eye to spot the unusual, but impactful new stuff that will amaze you.  Mark is a trained designer with a degree at the KISD in Cologne, and with experience in various industries – from furniture and product design to consulting projects.

He worked for organisations worldwide and is a highly recognised expert and speaks internationally. 

Moritz is an internationally renowned designer based in London. His work occupies a diverse range of creative spaces, from art and product design to fashion and entertainment.

Originally from Germany, Moritz moved to London in 1995 to study engineering at Kings College. He completed his Mechatronics master’s degree in 2001 before making his debut into the design world, enabling interactive show pieces for Swarovski’s Crystal Palace exhibition. Following his early collaborative work for the likes of Hussein Chalayan and Zaha Hadid, Moritz soon established himself as an independent designer. He held his first two gallery exhibitions “Electric Kid” and “By Royal Appointment” between 2006 and 2007. A year later, Moritz exhibited in MoMA’s Design & the Elastic Mind exhibition. In 2013 his lighting product ‘My New Flame’ was unveiled as part of MoMA’s permanent collection.

Moritz founded his own Studio in 2004, enabling him to work on large-scale, independent projects. In 2016 Nazanin Farahbod joined the studio as partner, contributing her great sense for aesthetic, business acumen and positive energy to every project. The Studio was built on a philosophy of playful experimentation by forging links between technology, art, fashion and design. This approach has resulted in a number of bespoke installations for brands like Audi, Panerai and Rinascente as well as a series of eccentric LED-embedded hats designed in collaboration with Philip Treacy.

The studio has also made its mark in the music industry by creating high-tech, light-studded costumes for a range of a-list clients including U2, Rihanna, and also the London Olympics Handover Ceremony performers. 2017 presented a highlight in this domain, the complete redesign of Jamiroquai’s stage persona in the form of a parametric robotic hat. The same year, the studio created the new lighting brand “mori.london” via a Kickstarter campaign, as a vehicle to sell innovative lighting products directly online.

More recently the studio very successfully entered the domain of automotive design, contributing lighting and parametric design to Bentley’s 100 year anniversary concept car EXP100GT. Given Moritz and Nazanin’s passion for everything automotive, this area will be one of the main focus points for the studio as the car industry is entering a new era of full electrification

As Lead Lighting Designer at Bentley Motors, Naomi transforms illumination into emotion, crafting light with the same attention to detail that Bentley has applied to wood, leather and metal for over 100 years.

Her journey began with the Bentley EXP100GT, where she helped shape the concept of the empathic cabin. Today, she brings that philosophy into production, pioneering Digital Craftsmanship across the luxury automotive sector within the VW Group.

A graduate in Intelligent Mobility from the Royal College of Art London, Naomi builds bridges between design and engineering, expanding the creative vocabulary of light. 

The recent work on the Bentley EXP 15 was awarded Best Lighting Design Team at the CDN Awards, recognising a new era of curated, adaptive luxury.

Nils studied Transportation Design in Braunschweig, began his career at the Volkswagen Group, and joined the Bugatti brand in 2016.

From 2020, as Head of Special Projects, he led the one-off & limited-production vehicles within the Design of Bugatti.

Today, he works in Group Design at the Volkswagen Group and advises the Design Directors under Andreas Mindt on strategic design topics. His focus is on the positioning and differentiation of the individual Group brands, as well as the joint strategic development of design identities with the brands.

Rossella is an architect by training and a CMF design leader by vocation. With over 30 years of experience in automotive design, she has contributed to the evolution of Colour, Material and Finish from a purely aesthetic function to a strategic tool for brand identity, innovation and customer experience.

She began her career at Lancia in 1995, at a time when CMF was still an emerging discipline. Today, she leads the Stellantis CMF team in Europe, overseeing all Italian, French and German brands, and defining color and material strategies across multiple design cultures.

Her work sits at the intersection of design culture, craftsmanship and material innovation. She believes that customisation is not only about choice, but about creating experiences and meaningful, personal connections between an object and its owner – where materials, colours and finishes become a true expression of identity.

Sina is a Material Designer at On in Zürich, where she is responsible for designing material concepts for performance and lifestyle footwear.

Her career began in the automotive industry at Volvo, where she worked in production and advanced CMF design, later expanding into consumer electronics at Logitech. 

Drawing from her experience across multiple industries she approaches material design as a powerful tool that shapes the way products perform, age, and connect with people. 

Sophia has a background in textiles and fashion design and holds a Master’s in Color and Materials Design from the College for Creative Studies. She believes that color and materials are essential for creating strong emotional connections between brands and customers.

Sophia played a key role in launching the R1T and R1S show cars at the 2018 LA Auto Show, contributing to both R1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 production. She also helped launch the R2, R3, and R3X show cars in 2024. Currently, she oversees CMF (Color, Material, Finish) design for Rivian, beginning with R2 production and beyond.

By combining her artistic background with automotive design, Sophia explores new opportunities in CMF development. Passionate about sustainability, she ensures each vehicle is visually appealing while supporting the brand’s environmental commitment. Her goal is to foster loyalty through thoughtful design that enhances the customer experience.

Sven has worked in the automotive industry since his vocational training, with a consistent focus on plastics as well as decorative and illuminated surfaces.

He currently holds leadership roles at LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG, where he is responsible for advanced business development and the Project Management Office within the automotive sector.

His professional background includes experience in Asian automotive markets—particularly Korea—where he managed business development, project acquisition, and series production ramp-ups. Earlier in his career, he gained technical and project management expertise at companies such as Grupo Antolin, Gubesch Group and Aptiv.

Turi is an independent designer working across multiple creative and technical disciplines. His international practice connects design, innovation, and technology across a wide range of industries.

After graduating in Transportation Design in 1997, he joined the Fiat Design Center, where he later led the Fiat Concept Lab, an advanced design team focused on future mobility and concept car development through innovative processes.

In 2006, he moved to France to pursue an independent career, expanding his work into concept art, product design, UX/UI design, interaction design, and computational design. Since then, he has collaborated with global brands in the automotive, aviation, high-tech, and luxury sectors.

More recently, by combining design expertise with programming, he developed VirQube, a suite of advanced digital tools for designers. Through experimental programs spanning 3D modeling, vector graphics, product configuration, and virtual reality, his work aims to advance creative workflows and design processes.

Alongside his professional practice, he is active in education, lecturing at universities, mentoring emerging designers, and training experienced professionals. He strongly advocates a multidisciplinary approach, believing that innovation happens where different sectors and disciplines intersect.

Williane is a CMF Design Director with over 18 years of experience in global design strategy and execution.

She believes design is a strategic language that connects cultures, communicates brand values, and drives impact.

Influenced by diverse international markets, Williane develops forward-looking, purpose-driven design solutions that balance innovation, feasibility, and brand coherence.

Her mission is to lead through clarity, innovation, and design excellence, delivering impactful, competitive, and enduring design outcomes.

Yves is a Munich-based artist, creative director, and educator working at the intersection of art, technology, and spatial experience.

His practice explores how data, human interaction, and environmental conditions can be translated into responsive installations and sculptural environments. Working across light, sound, moving image, and computational media, he creates works that explore how we perceive and experience the world.

Peitzner collaborates with museums, cultural institutions, brands, and scientific partners on interdisciplinary projects spanning art, design, and technological research, and teaches Artificial Intelligence and Interaction at the Munich University of Applied Sciences.