This week, we welcomed SAP’s Hagen Heubach to discuss the EV battery supply chain, covering risks, production strategies, data, AI, and recycling. We also explored why software is increasingly becoming a crucial differentiator for automakers Download the episode transcript ===== In this episode, we were joined by SAP’s Hagen Heubach to dive into the full lifecycle of EV batteries, from raw material sourcing and plant strategy to quality, second-life use, and recycling. We discussed data, digital twins, industry collaboration, and AI, and examined how in-car software and autonomous driving are reshaping competitive advantage in automotive supply chains. ===== Guest 1: Hagen Heubach, Chief Marketing Officer for Supply Chain Management, SAP Hagen Heubach joined SAP in 2007 and has held numerous leadership positions. Prior to his current role, he was leading Discrete Industries at SAP, holding the end-to-end business and solution responsibility for Automotive, Industrial Manufacturing, Hight Tech and Aerospace and Defense. He was living for multiple years in Japan and was driving SAP business expansion for Asia Pacific. Together with his team, he spearheads product marketing, strategic customer engagements, demand generation, thought leadership, and the commercialization of SAP's supply chain portfolio. Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Host 1: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Finance & Accounting and English Translation, along with a master’s degree in Business Administration and Foreign Trade, specializing in marketing. With her background in digital transformation, Oyku communicates technology trends and industry insights to help professionals navigate the evolving business landscape. ===== Show Links: Supply Chain Management: SAP Supply Chain Management SAP Insights: Supply Chain Follow Us on Social Media Hagen Heubach: LinkedIn Richard Howells: LinkedIn Oyku Ilgar: LinkedIn SAP Digital Supply Chain: LinkedIn Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes! ===== Chapters: 00:00:00: Intro 00:01:02: Guest introduction 00:01:18: Challenges of EV battery supply chains 00:04:58: How are manufacturers balancing all of these challenges? 00:10:15: Vertical integration vs outsourcing in battery value chains 00:14:02: Zero-life reliability concept explained 00:16:32: Second-life applications for used EV batteries 00:17:21: Data, digital twins and supply chain orchestration 00:21:22: Sustainability, battery passports and dismantling factories 00:24:27: Future technologies, 1,000 km range and AI in battery lifecycle 00:27:16: What's the future of the supply chain? 00:28:18: Outro
