Ananda Arasu
The 2026 edition of our Autodesk Automotive Innovation Forum is shaping up to be one of our best ones yet. While we feature fantastic exhibitions and displays, the high point will certainly be the amazing presentations. Here is a taste of some of the speakers you will be hearing from at our event this year.
Roger Atkins – Electric Vehicles
Few people have chronicled the rise of electric mobility quite like Roger Atkins. With 40 years in the automotive industry and roughly two decades focused on EVs, Roger is the founder of Electric Vehicles Outlook Ltd and a globally recognized voice in vehicle electrification.
A LinkedIn Top Voice for EV, he has built a following of more than 300,000 professionals who turn to him for insight on connected, autonomous, shared, and electric mobility.
His career spans engineering, online car retailing at Virgincars, amphibious vehicles at Gibbs, and electric trucks at Modec — giving him a rare, hands-on view of where the industry has been and where it’s heading. Today, alongside his consultancy work, he hosts the Electric & Eclectic podcast and advises companies across the EV ecosystem, from mining and batteries to charging infrastructure and zero-emission aviation. Expect a keynote rich in real-world stories and a clear-eyed take on the convergence of energy, connectivity, and electrification reshaping transportation.
For this year’s AIF, not only do we have the pleasure of welcoming Roger as a keynote speaker, but he will also serve as the MC for the general sessions on both days.
Lars Thomsen – Future Matters
Lars Thomsen is one of Europe’s most influential futurists and the founder and Chief Futurist of Future Matters AG, a Zurich-based think tank. Born in Hamburg in 1968, he has been advising entrepreneurs, companies, institutions, and government-related bodies across Europe since the age of 22, with a personal reference list that now exceeds 800 organizations — including roughly 40% of the DAX 100.
His research focuses on the trends most likely to define the next decade: the future of work, energy and resources, electric mobility, corporate culture, marketing and media, and artificial intelligence. Lars is known for translating complex shifts into clear, actionable foresight and for delivering it with energy and wit on stage. As he puts it, “The developments of the next 10 years affect us all. No one will be able to avoid the developments in the world, and it is better to participate than to just watch.” A perfect mindset to open AIF 2026 with.
His keynote presentation touches on how the next competitive advantage in automotive will not come from digital tools alone, but from a new understanding of human work.
Florent Dieudonne – Renault Group
Florent Dieudonne is part of Renault Group, where his work focuses on using extended reality (XR) and Autodesk VRED to blend physical and digital models through the Group’s DigyPHY platform — a key enabler for designing the next generation of Renault vehicles.
He has been associated with Renault’s recent push to combine AI and virtual reality to develop the new electric Twingo in under two years, a project positioned as a strategic response to fast-moving competition and a model for reducing reliance on physical prototypes ahead of its planned 2026 launch.
His contribution at AIF will offer attendees a first-hand view of how immersive design tools are reshaping vehicle development cycles at one of Europe’s largest OEMs.
Jack Allenet – Bentley Motors
Jack Allenet is Head of Digital Surfacing (CAS & Strak) and Head of Advanced Surfacing & Visualisation at Bentley Motors, a role he has held since January 2016. An experienced professional in digital surfacing and Alias modelling, with a career spanning more than a decade.
He previously worked as an Alias modeller at Volkswagen Design Center Potsdam and Schweizer & Schweizer Design Partner, contributing to projects with EDAG, Hyundai, and Volkswagen. He holds a First Class Honours MDes in Transport Design from Coventry University, the school that produced the winning design in our student competition last year! He also operates Allenet Design Ltd in parallel with his role at Bentley.
At AIF 2026, he is well placed to speak to the convergence of craftsmanship and digital surfacing techniques that define modern luxury vehicle development.
Ewen Macrury – Norton Motorcycles
Ewen MacRury serves as Digital Surfacing, Studio Engineering, and Visualisation Manager at Norton Motorcycles, where he leads a team delivering world-class digital processes within a fast-growing design studio environment.
His focus is on advanced, next-generation techniques for digital design, supported by a vertically integrated team structure that allows efficient, in-house resolution of design challenges. Beyond his professional work, he volunteers with Aerobility, a charity that empowers individuals with disabilities through the joy of flight – a combination he describes as defining both his technical excellence and sense of social responsibility.
His session at AIF promises a compelling perspective on how heritage brands are being reimagined through digital surfacing and XR technologies.
This is just a sample of some of the speakers and sessions you can look forward to at AIF26. It isn’t too late to register to attend our event, June 2 – 3, in Darmstadt, Germany.
However, if you are unable to attend in person, you’ll be happy to know that recordings of all sessions will be available on our Design Studio YouTube channel about 2 weeks after the event. Recordings of last year’s event are currently on the channel for you to check out. Subscribe to the channel as well as follow Autodesk Automotive on LinkedIn for all the latest updates.
This story was developed using a blend of human expertise and AI tools supporting the research and drafting. Our team shaped, edited, and fact-checked the final content to ensure accuracy and alignment.
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