The automotive aftermarket is facing the biggest technological change in its history. Electrification, software-defined vehicles and connected mobility are transforming not only products, but entire business models. In his podcast, Heiko Löffler, founder of Digital Success, spoke with Marina Ribke, Chief Data & Technology Officer at TecAlliance, about exactly that: how technology can multiply human potential, why data is becoming the new currency, and why the future of the aftermarket lies in strong ecosystems.
The conversation below is a condensed version of the full podcast episode, capturing the key insights from Heiko Löffler’s conversation with Marina Ribke.
Heiko: Hello and welcome to the Digital Success podcast – your podcast about digitalisation and innovation. Today I am talking to Marina Ribke, Chief Data & Technology Officer at TecAlliance. Marina is convinced that technology can multiply human potential: people should be able to do what they are good at ten times better with the help of technology. She also advocates for seeing the future not as a threat, but as something we can courageously shape. I am very much looking forward to our conversation. It’s great to have you here, Marina.
Marina: Thank you very much for the invitation, Heiko. I am very much looking forward to our conversation.
Heiko: What excites you about technology, innovation and transformation?
Marina: I grew up in the Stuttgart region – shaped by engineering, mobility and a strong optimism about the future. From an early age, I was fascinated by companies that develop complex technologies and build social systems in which thousands of people work together to create a product such as a car.
At the same time, I discovered the internet – a completely new, disruptive system at the time. I was immediately fascinated by this combination of technology and social structures. That’s why I studied economics, computer science and business informatics. Since then, I’ve been driven by the question: How can we design social systems to make the most of the potential of new technologies?
Heiko: How do you view the current developments in the automotive aftermarket?
Marina: The aftermarket is undergoing massive change due to developments in the OEM environment: electrification, assistance systems, connected cars and now software-defined vehicles. Vehicles are becoming more complex and repairs more demanding. At the same time, around 30% of vehicles in Europe are already connected – in a few years, this figure will be around 65%.
This poses enormous challenges for workshops: What kind of vehicle do I actually have? How do I repair an EV? How do I deal with high voltage or complex software?
This requires data. OEMs must provide data, but often do so only minimally. This leads to uncertainty and, in some cases, a sense of doom in the aftermarket. However, I advocate a change of perspective.
Heiko: In a software-first world, the new currency is not money – it is digital services. If the aftermarket creates attractive digital services for end customers, this will create a new incentive for OEMs to provide good quality data. What role does TecAlliance play in this change?
Marina: TecAlliance was founded to make the aftermarket successful – through neutral, industrial solutions and data standards in the non-competitive sector. This makes us something like the ‘lubricant’ for data exchange in the market.
But now we are facing a paradigm shift: from hardware-first to software-first. This means that
- Existing products will not be the products of the future.
- We must simultaneously optimise what already exists AND build something completely new.
- This requires a modern data architecture that enables interoperability and data sharing.
We are therefore working on three horizons:
- Now (improving operations),
- Near (modern technology and data platform),
- Next (visionary ecosystems).
The Next horizon in particular is all about these ecosystems: data rooms in which the aftermarket, wholesalers, workshops and parts manufacturers share data – thus creating digital services that keep vehicles mobile in the long term.
Heiko: Why are ecosystems necessary – and why can’t anyone do this alone?
Marina: No single company can meet an end customer’s need to ‘ensure mobility for 20 years’ – neither OEMs nor aftermarket players. The future is connected, and Europe will only be able to shape ecosystems through cooperation.
My vision: Imagine a button in your car that guarantees: ‘This vehicle will remain repairable for 20 years.’
An OEM can only offer this button if the aftermarket contributes its data and expertise. This, in turn, requires a shared data space – an ecosystem.
Heiko: What does a company need to make true digital innovation possible?
Marina: Digitalisation is 20% technology, 40% processes & data and 40% people & culture. The most important things are:
- A strong, positive narrative for the future
Europe currently often lacks a vision that inspires people. But people follow stories. Without a story that makes them excited about the future, there will be no transformation. - Learning ability instead of knowledge sovereignty
In the past, knowledge was power. Today, the ability to learn is the decisive competitive advantage. - Radical customer orientation
In B2B, too, the end customer must become visible again: What helps them? What creates real value? - Ownership
Don’t complain. Don’t wait. Take responsibility. - Open mindset & data-driven action
Question the status quo. Don’t discuss opinions – discuss data. - Consciously separate different horizons
Efficiency in the here and now requires different people than vision and ecosystem design.
Heiko: What should listeners take away from this conversation?
Marina: The future is in our hands. Technology gives us incredible opportunities. We can shape a great future – if we are courageous, remain open and dare to break new ground. I am committed to this scenario, and I invite everyone to join me.
The easiest way to reach me is on LinkedIn. More information about our connected vehicle platform is available on the CARUSO website.