Helping the automotive industry to address a range of challenges will be the focus of a new programme at the Business School.

The Business School has partnered with CLEPA, an organisation that represents the European automotive supply industry, to design the CLEPA Global Management Programme.

The programme will provide the automotive supply industry with the opportunity to develop their executives further so that they can be more prepared to handle the industry’s rapid transformation. 

Rosemary Peters catches up with Jérôme Couturier, Director of Executive Education at the Business School, to discuss the importance of this programme and the partnership.

1) What are the challenges that the automotive supply industry are facing?

With 80 per cent of the value added in a car produced by suppliers, the automotive supply industry plays an ever increasing role in the entire automotive landscape. The constant need for research and innovation and ever cleaner, safer and more connected cars, the imperative for growth, the fast globalisation of the market and the advent of Asia as the industry’s key growth driver are only a few of the trends and strategic imperatives that are re-shaping the automotive supply industry today. Hence organisations are in critical need to prepare their senior talent for the challenges ahead.

2) How will the programme prepare executives?

The programme has been designed to expand the skills and perspectives of senior managers in the industry via a series of lectures from academic leaders and industry experts. The programme will focus on strategic issues facing the automotive supply sector such as regulation, funding, innovation, technology, and the fast globalisation of the market.   Participants will also work on individual or team projects to ensure they take practical and actionable methods back to their organisations.

3) Why was the Business School chosen to deliver this programme?

CLEPA wanted to partner with Imperial specifically because of our consistent rankings among the best universities in the world and the unique cross-disciplinary combination of skills and knowledge the College and the business school demonstrate. Through conversations with our faculty it became apparent this partnership was a unique opportunity to develop a programme combining the expertise from CLEPA’s network of practitioners and the expertise of Imperial’s faculty and corporate networks to deliver a customised programme for the industry.

4) What do you hope the CLEPA Global Management Programme will achieve?

We intend to mark a key milestone in the growth of individuals in the automotive industry so their work has impact on their organisations and the future of the European automotive supplier industry as a whole. Beyond, we anticipate the programme can serve as a platform for innovation and the creation of a strong network of collaborations between players within the automotive sector, as well as greater ties between CLEPA and Imperial.