Gasgoo Munich- At the 2026 China Auto Forum's "Smart Driving Future, Talent Leading" session, Chen Xu, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), delivered opening remarks. He stated that China's auto industry is at a pivotal juncture, shifting from scale expansion to high-quality development. To achieve three major breakthroughs by 2030 — in technological innovation, the industrial ecosystem, and brand influence — talent will play a decisive role.
Image Source: 2026 China Auto Forum
Chen Xu cited the latest industry data to highlight the sector's achievements. In 2025, China's automobile production and sales scale ranked first globally for the 17th consecutive year, while new energy vehicle (NEV) production and sales led the world for 11 years running. Domestic brands captured a 69.5% share of the passenger car market, and auto exports hit 7.098 million units, firmly holding the top global spot. In the first half of 2026, the market showed a pattern of soft domestic demand but strong exports. Auto exports reached 5.096 million units, surging 65.3% year-on-year, with NEV exports jumping 120% to 2.355 million units. Behind these impressive figures lies the long-term investment and dedication of industry talent.
With the deep integration of electrification, intelligence, and connectivity, the industry is undergoing a comprehensive transformation. R&D models are shifting toward innovation-driven approaches, vehicles are evolving into intelligent mobile spaces, and manufacturing systems are moving toward flexible digitalization. The industrial ecosystem is breaking away from closed chains to embrace cross-sector collaboration. This continuously evolving environment is spawning a large number of emerging roles. Professionals with only single-skill sets can no longer keep up with the pace of change; versatile talent possessing multidisciplinary knowledge, innovation, and collaborative capabilities is becoming increasingly scarce.
Chen Xu noted that against the backdrop of the national strategy of building a talent-strong country, talent development is the core support for the automotive industry's transition into a global powerhouse. This forum focuses on new talent paradigms amidst industrial transformation, centering discussions on optimizing talent structures and innovating mechanisms. The forum aims to gather forces from the government, automakers, universities, and research institutions to build an exchange platform, forge industry consensus, and establish a talent support system adapted to the upgrading of the automotive industry.
In his view, facing the long-term competition toward 2030, industrial competition ultimately boils down to talent competition. All parties need to collaborate to improve systems for talent cultivation, introduction, and utilization. Relying on a sufficient talent reserve, China's automotive industry can continue to drive the leap from "big" to "strong."
