Christine Marconcin, Chief Operating Officer at Critical TechWorks, took part in a BMW Group panel discussion at the Portugal Smart Cities Summit in Lisbon, joining representatives from industry and government to examine whether Europe's current automotive regulatory framework is equipped to address the challenges of the mobility transition.

The session, titled "European Automotive Regulation: Really Smart and Green or Do We Need to Consider New Paths?", brought together Hélder Pedro, Secretary-General of ACAP, Thomas Becker, Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs at BMW Group, and Gonçalo Lage, Member of Parliament and Coordinator of the Infrastructure, Mobility and Housing Committee.

The discussion focused on the pressures facing the automotive sector as it navigates the transition to more sustainable mobility. Topics included climate objectives, industrial competitiveness, infrastructure development and the role of innovation in supporting long-term transformation.

During the debate, Christine highlighted the importance of maintaining a technology-neutral approach to the transition, arguing that multiple solutions will be needed to address the diverse realities across European markets.

"Putting all the focus on a single technology is not the right approach. A more open, technology-neutral pathway is what will truly accelerate the transition."

She also noted the challenges involved in translating regulatory ambition into practical implementation, pointing to factors such as charging infrastructure, energy systems and consumer adoption as key considerations for policymakers and industry alike.

"From a technology perspective, the ambition is right. However, the pace and rigidity we're seeing are far from reality."

The panel reflected a broader consensus that while electrification is a central component of reducing emissions, achieving Europe's mobility and climate goals will require a combination of technologies and solutions that can adapt to different regional needs and levels of readiness.

The Role of Digitalisation

Another key topic discussed was the role of digitalisation in supporting more informed decision-making throughout the transition.

According to Christine, data and digital technologies can help identify barriers to adoption and provide greater visibility into the factors influencing mobility transformation.

"Digitalisation shows where the bottlenecks are. It's infrastructure, the energy grid and customer behaviour."

The discussion highlighted how data-driven insights can contribute to a better understanding of the challenges facing the sector and support more effective policy and investment decisions.

As Europe continues to advance its sustainability ambitions, the debate reinforced the need for ongoing collaboration between policymakers, industry representatives and technology experts to address the complex realities of the mobility transition.