IAA Voices: Interview SAF-HOLLAND

Christoph Günter has been President Europe, Middle East and Africa of the SAF-HOLLAND Group since 1 October 2019. He is also responsible for the activities in Australia and New Zealand. In his position as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the company, he also manages the company's global new product development.

What does SAF-HOLLAND stand for and what should every IAA visitor know about the company?

Our core business is axle and suspension systems for trailers as well as fifth wheels for trucks and coupling systems for trucks, trailers and semi-trailers. We sell our products and solutions worldwide under the brands SAF, Holland, V.Orlandi, TrailerMaster, Neway, KLL and York. We stand for innovative, high-quality products that increase the efficiency, safety and environmental friendliness of commercial vehicles. Our current focus is on the electrification of axles and the digitalisation and networking of trailers to optimise transport processes. We are a reliable and trustworthy partner, and we live and breathe service and customer proximity: we are directly on site in many regions around the world, so we can act quickly and focus on regional needs.

What is the company's most important project for 2022/23?

The topic of alternative drives is currently occupying us particularly intensively. After the successful test phase in real haulage operations, our SAF TRAKr recuperation axle for trailers will be produced in series and launched on the market before the end of the year. With the electrified trailer axle, we convert kinetic energy that would otherwise be wasted into electricity. This is then made available to other electric or hybrid consumers on auxiliary drives in the trailer, for example a cooling unit. The axle can be seen at our stand, but also at the stands of many of our customers.

The newly designed IAA TRANSPORTATION is a platform and meeting place for transport and logistics companies from all over the world. What makes the trade fair so appealing to you?

The mobility of the future is subject to constant change. For us, the IAA Transportation is on the one hand the platform where current developments, innovations and new products are presented and discussed - internationally and holistically. On the other hand, it is an important industry meeting place and yardstick for us: we come together with customers, interested parties and partners from all over the world and exchange views on developments in the commercial vehicle industry.

What can IAA visitors particularly look forward to at your stand?

The megatrends of electrification, digitalisation and automated driving are the drivers of the innovations we are showing at the IAA Transportation 2022. In addition to the SAF TRAKr recuperation axle, which will start series production in 2022, we will be showing numerous other innovations that address the megatrends and provide answers: The SAF-HOLLAND Automated Coupling concept demonstrates our expertise at the interface between truck and trailer.

The topic of digitalisation has been occupying us for several years, especially with regard to telematics. Since we acquired the British telematics specialist Axscend, we are also further expanding digitalisation in the axle and chassis in order to make predictive maintenance functions a reality.

At the trade fair, the sensor-based Smart Axle with the SAF TrailerMaster telematics system and the new SAF TIRE PILOT I.Q. tyre pressure monitoring system will be a major topic with regard to the intelligent and networked trailer that fits into digital logistics processes. In addition to optimised processes, we expect this to lead to greater safety, lower overall costs and conformity with the latest legislation.

The coming years will be characterised by transformation. Where will the transport and logistics industry be in 2030 - and what milestones do you want to have mastered by then?

In these economically volatile times, the megatrends of the commercial vehicle industry - digitalisation, electrification and automated driving - are a constant that have accompanied us in recent years. This is also where we see our future. Of course, economic fluctuations will influence the speed and focus of development. Nevertheless, we have the vision that by 2030 fleets will be automated on long-distance journeys and driven alternatively in inner-city traffic. We also see a lot of potential in process-optimising, digital solutions for predictive maintenance functions and other smart helpers.

 

Biography:

Christoph Günter has been President Europe, Middle East and Africa of the SAF-HOLLAND Group since 1 October 2019. He is also responsible for the activities in Australia and New Zealand. In his position as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the company, he also manages the company's global new product development.
 
He began his professional career in 2004 at MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG in the Sales and Marketing department in Munich and Paris and since 2007 has held various staff and operational management positions in Sales, Marketing and Product Development at the Knorr-Bremse Group - the world market leader for braking systems and a leading supplier of safety-critical subsystems for rail and com-mercial vehicles. Mr Günter was most recently Vice President Sales & Marketing EMEA at Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH, where he was responsible for the Trailer, Specialist OE and Agricultural Vehicles divisions.
 
Christoph Günter holds a degree in industrial engineering. He studied industrial engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Salamanca in Spain, specialising in operations research, logistics, corporate management and computer science.