Automotive development is changing at a structural level. Compressed timelines, escalating system complexity, and post-launch software evolution are pushing traditional development workflows past their limits. The question is no longer whether to change — it's how. Three converging forces are reshaping the development landscape: validation moving earlier through simulation and model-based design; engineering disciplines running in parallel rather than sequence; and continuous development that extends well past the production line and into software-defined vehicle functions, ADAS, powertrain calibration, and OTA updates.
Smart Testing is the engineering framework built for this reality. By unifying virtual and physical testing through a continuous data connection, Smart Testing replaces disconnected toolchains with an intelligence layer — one that correlates simulation data, physical test results, and real-world usage in a central platform. The output isn't a report. It's a continuous flow of actionable engineering insight that accelerates decisions across the entire development organization.
In this 30-minute live event, VI-grade and HBK will introduce the Smart Testing concept and demonstrate how integrated solutions — spanning sensing, data acquisition, simulation, and AI-powered analytics — make this framework practical for OEMs and suppliers today.
If your organization is navigating shorter cycles, more complex systems, and development work that never really stops, this session will reframe how you think about the entire process. Join us. The Smart era has already started.
Speakers:
Guido Bairati, Vice President – Global Sales, HBK
Guido Bairati is Vice President of Global Sales at HBK, with more than 30 years of experience in simulation, testing, and engineering data. Over the course of his career, he has held leadership roles spanning software development, technical consulting, regional sales, and global business management. Before joining HBK in this role, Guido spent more than 17 years at VI-grade, where he served as Managing Director, Vice President Global Sales, Worldwide Sales Director, Managing Director of Italy. Earlier in his career, he held commercial and technical leadership positions at MSC Software and Mechanical Dynamics Inc. Guido is recognized for building high-performing international teams, developing strategic partnerships across automotive and aerospace, and driving growth through a people-first, impact-oriented leadership style.
Tanneke Reinders, Executive Vice President – In Simulation and Validation, HBK
Tanneke Reinders is Executive Vice President at HBK and an international business leader with more than 20 years of experience across B2B and B2C markets. Her career has been defined by profitable growth delivery, organizational transformation, and the development of high-performing teams in complex international environments. Before joining HBK in 2023, she held senior leadership roles at Malvern Panalytical, including Vice President of Corporate and Business Development and Vice President of Marketing and Strategy. Earlier, she built extensive European leadership experience at Apollo Vredestein and Whirlpool Corporation, where she managed brand, innovation, product management, and commercial functions across multiple markets. Having lived and worked in Italy, France, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US, Tanneke brings a broad international perspective, strong strategic focus, and a structured, results-driven leadership approach.
Moderator:
Sebastian Blanco, Editor, SAE Media Group
