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  Yahaya Bin Ahmad

  Head of Unit of Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS)

  Yahaya Bin Ahmad

  Head of Unit of Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS)

  A seasoned leader in automotive safety and strategic program development, this professional directs the end-to-end management of ASEAN NCAP operations, overseeing vehicle safety assessment workflows, stakeholder engagement, and targeted marketing campaigns. By fostering cross-functional collaboration with government agencies, technical teams, and industry partners, they ensure all initiatives align with national road safety priorities and organizational objectives—driving measurable impact across Malaysia’s evolving automotive landscape.
  
  Central to their role is the leadership of ASEAN NCAP safety protocol design and regional adaptation. They spearhead the development, refinement, and implementation of assessment protocols that integrate local crash data, regional vehicle trends, and emerging safety technologies. Addressing ASEAN-specific challenges—such as mixed traffic environments and high motorcycle density—they benchmark protocols against UN Regulations and Euro NCAP standards to ensure global relevance and contextual accuracy. Through continuous evaluation and framework enhancement, they strengthen the validity and real-world impact of vehicle safety ratings across the region.
  
  Their expertise is further anchored in evidence-based road safety research, directly supporting operational and policy initiatives for MIROS, the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, and affiliated research centres. They lead comprehensive assessments of passive and active safety technologies while managing the full operations of the MIROS crash test laboratory and test track. By bridging advanced research with technical execution, they reinforce ASEAN NCAP’s standing as a pivotal authority in automotive safety—ultimately contributing to safer vehicles, better-informed consumers, and the preservation of lives on ASEAN roads.

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  Tongchai Jinaphunt

  Director, Vice President of Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand

  Tongchai Jinaphunt

  Director, Vice President of Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand

  Dr. Tongchai Jinaphunt is a highly accomplished leader in the automotive and energy sectors, holding a Ph.D. in Research and Statistics in Cognitive Sciences from Burapha University. With over 33 years of experience in large-scale manufacturing and technology development, he has become a cornerstone of Thailand’s transition toward sustainable mobility and smart industrial solutions.
  
  Industrial Leadership & Manufacturing Excellence
  Dr. Tongchai Jinaphunt ’s extensive career spans the end-to-end lifecycle of Electric Motorcycles, including design, manufacturing, and sales. As a seasoned executive, he has managed operational and capital budgets exceeding 1,550 million THB, overseeing a workforce of over 1,500 employees. His leadership is characterized by a dual focus on Research and Development—specifically in IoT, alternative energy, and smart automotive products—and operational excellence. He has been instrumental in implementing rigorous quality control procedures and performance-driven training programs that have set benchmarks for manufacturing efficiency.
  
  Policy & Standard Development
  🔹A recognized authority on Electric Vehicles (EVs), Dr. [Name] has held several influential roles within the Thai government and professional associations:
  🔹Chairman of Regulation and Standardization (2018–2022): Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT).
  🔹Committee Member for Standardization: Thailand Industrial Standards Institute (TISI), Ministry of Industry.
  🔹NEV Expert: Committee member for New Energy Vehicles under the Ministry of Education.
  
  Research & Academic Contribution
  Beyond the factory floor, Dr. [Name] is a dedicated researcher and educator. He served as a researcher for the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), focusing on battery swapping platforms for electric motorcycles. His commitment to the next generation of engineers is evident through his work developing NEV curricula for Thailand’s top academic institutions, including Chulalongkorn, Thammasat, and Kasetsart Universities, as well as the Thailand Automotive Institute (TAI).

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  Genya Abe

  Deputy General Manager of Japan Automobile Research Institute

  Genya Abe

  Deputy General Manager of Japan Automobile Research Institute

  Dr. Genya Abe is the Deputy General Manager of the Autonomous Driving Research Division at the Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI), Japan. He received his Ph.D. in Human Sciences from Loughborough University, United Kingdom. His academic background focuses on human factors and human–machine interaction in automated systems.
  
  Dr. Abe has contributed to research projects with industry, academia, and governmental organizations in the field of automated driving safety. His research interests include human–machine interaction, driver trust, safety assurance of automated driving systems, and evaluation technologies for automated driving and advanced driver assistance systems (AD/ADAS). He also contributes to international standardization activities in the field of automated driving safety. He serves as an international expert in ISO/TC22/SC33/WG9, which focuses on scenario-based development of driving automation systems. Through his work, he aims to promote the safe deployment and social acceptance of automated driving technologies.

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  Kim Hyoung Gu

  Team Leader of Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute (KATRI)

  Kim Hyoung Gu

  Team Leader of Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute (KATRI)

  Dr. Hyoung-Gu, Kim is the chief researcher of international regulations team of Korea Internationalization Center for Automobile Standards (KICAS) in Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute (KATRI).
  
  He received a doctor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Han-Yang University in Korea and came to KATRI in 2005 as a test engineer. He worked in laboratory of lighting and lighting devices for compliance test and also conducted test of indirect vision of driver.
  
  In 2010, He moved to vehicle policy division in KATRI to work for harmonization of UN ECE WP.29, making and amending Korean Vehicle Safety standards, supporting government in Korean-US and Korean-EU FTA and other international activities including APEC/TPT/VSHG and JASIC PP Forum. Since 2020, he has been taking a role of Vice-Chair of GRSP under the UNECE WP.29.
  
  Now, His main responsibility is managing all international works including making annual plan to harmonization research related to UNECE WP.29 by government budget and all international cooperation with other countries in KATRI including Korea-US and Korea-EU FTA vehicle working groups

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  Takuya Maeda

  Managing Director of IAV Co., Ltd.

  Takuya Maeda

  Managing Director of IAV Co., Ltd.

  I am Takuya Maeda, Managing Director of IAV Japan, a role I have held since June 2021. With an MBA, a Master's degree in Systems Engineering, and over 25 years of global automotive experience, I specialize in technology strategy, development methodology and process, and organizational management. Currently, I am leading IAV Japan in driving Digital Transformation (DX) and guiding the industry's shift toward SDV. I focus on supporting international players navigate the complex integration of powertrains and ADAS to meet the rigorous quality standards of the Japanese market.
  My career began at Toyota Motor Corporation in 1998. In 2000, I joined Ford Motor Company as an engine control engineer, later expanding my responsibilities into product planning and global project management. I oversaw Ford-Mazda joint ventures and managed major vehicle launches at a facility in Thailand, gaining profound insights into the development processes of global OEMs. From 2011, I continued my international career at AVL, working across Japan, Austria, and Germany in key leadership roles, achieving notable sales records and project awards.
  Today at IAV Japan, I am committed to both technological excellence and a human-centric management philosophy. I firmly believe the profound challenges of the mobility revolution cannot be solved by a single company. True DX requires us to look beyond traditional boundaries, forging strong cross-industry partnerships and building a collaborative ecosystem. By fostering leadership within my organization and promoting open collaboration, I strive to bridge the gap between global technology innovation and the complex system integration needed for a safer, connected mobility society.

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  Ian Tzeng 

  Associate Vice President of Product strategy & Marketing office, oToBrite

  Ian Tzeng 

  Associate Vice President of Product strategy & Marketing office, oToBrite

  A graduate of National Taiwan University (NTU) in Electrical Engineering, he is a seasoned expert with over 10 years of experience in product management and business development. With a deep technical foundation in 3D Machine Vision and Vision-based AI, he has been a driving force in bridging cutting-edge R&D with large-scale commercialization in the autonomous driving industry.
  
  Currently serving as the Associate Vice President of Product Strategy & Marketing at oToBrite, he has successfully navigated pivotal leadership roles, from Technical PM to Business Development Manager. A landmark achievement in his career was leading the team in the mass production and deployment of the Vision AI Automated Parking Perception System for XPENG Motors. Under his leadership, this automated parking solution has consistently secured top-tier scores across multiple autonomous driving benchmarks for several consecutive years.
  
  Beyond the automotive ADAS market, he has demonstrated exceptional strategic vision by leveraging the NVIDIA ecosystem to scale proven technologies. By expanding the company’s footprint from the highly competitive vehicle sector into the high-growth unmanned vehicle and robotics markets

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  Kenyuan Lin

  Special Assistant of Automotive BU of PEGATRON Corporation

  Kenyuan Lin

  Special Assistant of Automotive BU of PEGATRON Corporation

  Dr. Kenyuan Lin is a distinguished expert in automotive technology with over 30 years of experience in research, development, and industry leadership. His career is defined by a deep commitment to advancing automotive electronics, intelligent vehicles, and electric vehicle (EV) systems.
  Dr. Lin spent 23 years (1997–2020) at the Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC) in Taiwan. During this time, he played a pivotal role in establishing key testing laboratories and developing national standards for automotive electronics. His leadership in government-funded initiatives for the MOEA and MOTC was instrumental in strengthening Taiwan’s automotive infrastructure and smart cockpit development.
  
  Since 2020, Dr. Lin has served as Special Assistant in the Automotive Business Unit at PEGATRON Corporation, bridging the gap between advanced research and industrial application. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the Power/Energy/Control Special Interest Group at the Taiwan Advanced Automotive Technology Development Association (TADA), shaping strategic directions for energy management and intelligent control.
  
  Expertise and Research
  Dr. Lin possesses multidisciplinary expertise covering:
  🔹Systems & Development: EV systems, intelligent vehicle integration, and smart cockpits.
  🔹Validation & Reliability: Road load simulation, structural durability, and component reliability.
  🔹Academic Contributions: He has published 2 SCI-indexed papers and 4 SAE papers, alongside numerous conference publications.

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  Chelsea Chen

  Senior Business Development Manager of Sales Department of VicOne Inc.

  Chelsea Chen

  Senior Business Development Manager of Sales Department of VicOne Inc.

  Chelsea Chen is a business development leader in the field of automotive cybersecurity, currently serving as the Business Development Manager at VicOne, a Trend Micro subsidiary dedicated to securing the software-defined vehicle.
  
  At VicOne, Chelsea plays a pivotal role in driving strategic partnerships with OEMs, Tier 1s, and regulators across the APAC and Middle East markets. She has been deeply involved in promoting ISO/SAE 21434 and UNECE R155/R156 compliance, supporting automotive stakeholders in shaping their cybersecurity roadmap. Her contributions span from early product planning, customer workshops, to project execution for Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Vulnerability Management solutions.
  
  Prior to VicOne, Chelsea held key roles at Trend Micro, where she managed partnerships with global technology vendors and drove cybersecurity initiatives across various sectors. With over a decade of experience in enterprise cybersecurity and mobility, Chelsea brings a unique ability to bridge technical and business perspectives in the rapidly evolving connected vehicle ecosystem.

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  Chih-Yen Tai

  Associate Research Fellow of Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research

  Chih-Yen Tai

  Associate Research Fellow of Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research

  Dr. Chih-Yen Tai is an Associate Research Fellow at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) and Deputy Director of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Evaluation. His research focuses on the digital economy, emerging technologies and industrial strategy. Dr. Tai received his Ph.D. in Business Management from National Sun Yat-sen University.
  Before joining CIER in 2016, he worked at the Commerce Development Research Institute (CDRI) as a Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Business Model Innovation Institute. Earlier in his career, he also served as a Project Manager at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

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  Ethel Luciana Salas Castillo

  Director of Innovation and Smart City Initiatives

  Ethel Luciana Salas Castillo

  Director of Innovation and Smart City Initiatives

  Ethel Luciana Salas Castillo is an Industrial Engineer specializing in digital transformation, smart city governance, and data-driven public management. Director of Innovation and Smart City Initiatives at the Municipality of San Miguel, Lima, Peru, she directs the strategic development of technology-driven public policies integrating artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics, and digital governance frameworks to strengthen urban management and enhance the efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness of public service delivery.
  
  Her academic background includes a Master’s Degree in Digital Transformation from the University of Barcelona (Spain). Her professional profile is complemented by international immersion and cooperation programs focused on urban innovation and smart city ecosystems in Spain, Brazil, and the People’s Republic of China, providing exposure to global practices in intelligent mobility systems, smart infrastructure, and emerging urban technologies.
  
  Within this role, she drives the implementation of the Smart City San Miguel strategy, an integrated urban innovation and digital transformation framework designed to build a technologically enabled, resilient, and citizen-centered urban ecosystem. The strategy promotes the deployment of artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and intelligent digital infrastructure to support data-driven decision-making, strengthen urban security systems, and improve operational efficiency.
  
  Her work advances AI-enabled mobility systems, intelligent transportation infrastructure, and emerging intelligent vehicle technologies, contributing to safer and more efficient urban environments and fostering innovation and technological cooperation across APEC economies.

 

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