SP 2025 Innovation Summit Event Recap

Detroit, MI, July 29 – 30, 2025
SP’s 2025 Innovation Summit brought together over 400 automotive sustainability leaders from across the value chain to accelerate innovation in decarbonization, circular materials, nature and water stewardship, and emerging sustainability strategies. Over two days at Huntington Place in Detroit, attendees participated in dynamic plenary sessions, interactive breakouts, and networking opportunities focused on advancing collaborative solutions to shared environmental challenges.

Day 1 – July 29, 2025

The Summit opened with remarks from Kellen Mahoney (SP Executive Director), Fred Gersdorff (General Motors and SP Board Chair), and Ahmed Elganzouri (Magna and SP Board Member), who emphasized the importance of collaboration in scaling sustainability impact.

Opening keynote speaker Tanya Skilton (General Motors) shared an insightful talk on GM’s approach to supply chain sustainability and decarbonization strategy.

A subsequent OEM panel moderated by Trio and featuring Honda, Toyota, and General Motors discussed carbon reduction goals, supplier engagement strategies, and collaborative industry programs like Transform Auto. A second panel moderated by SP with leaders from Bosch, Cummins, DENSO, and Magna, explored supplier perspectives on improving sustainability efficiency and collaboration, including recently published supplier sustainability resources.

Morning breakout sessions addressed:

• Collaborative strategies to reduce Scope 3 emissions (Magna, GKN Automotive)
• Clean steel opportunities for net-zero manufacturing (RMI, ICCT, Industrious Labs, Ducker Carlisle)
• Nature-based solutions and pollinator restoration (Toyota, Pure Strategies)
• Battery circularity best practices (US EPA)

Afternoon plenary sessions examined strategies to increase recycled aluminum use (Hydro, Padnos), collaborative sustainable packaging innovations (ORBIS, Magna, Stellantis, Mitchell Plastics), and future data-driven reduction opportunities (Manufacture 2030).

The Innovation Showcase session highlighted five sustainable technology pitches, with speakers from Magna, Vartega, Zerust & RecycleMax, Owens Corning, and Pangea. Congratulations to Carrie Young (Magna Seating) for earning the Audience Choice Award for her presentation.

Afternoon breakout sessions focused on:

• Low-carbon freight and Scope 3 logistics data (CSX, John Deere, VesselBot)
• Sustainable product design (Henkel, PADNOS, The Hunter Company, FEV Consulting, GM)
• Leather supply chain deforestation impacts (World Wildlife Fund)
• Battery energy storage and second-life applications (Circunomics, Schneider Electric, Currents, Higher Wire)

The day closed with a networking reception sponsored by Hydro Aluminum Metals USA.

Day 2 – July 30, 2025

The second day began with Kellen Mahoney (SP) and Vickie Lewis (VMX International and SP Board Member) welcoming attendees. They reflected on a recognition event held earlier that morning where SP recognized and thanked several attending Board members and notable project volunteers.

Russell Wager (Kia America) delivered a keynote on Kia’s sustainability strategy and its conservation partnerships with organizations like The Ocean Cleanup, National Geographic, and The Nature Conservancy.

An OEM panel moderated by Pure Strategies and featuring speakers from Toyota, Honda, and General Motors addressed nature-related supply chain risks and insights from a recent upstream raw material nature risk assessment project sponsored by SP. Kara Fulcher (Michelin) closed the morning session with a talk on the company’s 2030 biodiversity goals and progress in addressing deforestation risks.

Morning breakouts covered:

• Funding decarbonization and plant energy optimization (RENEW Energy Partners, Yamaha, GM, CAM Technologies, DENSO)
• Recycling tire-derived crumb rubber into automotive parts (USTMA, Entech/Joma, Prism Worldwide)
• Leveraging AI for sustainability and profitability (OrbAid, University of Michigan, Schneider Electric)
• Building a nature playbook for automotive operations (Fresh Coast Climate Solutions, GZA)

Attendees also had the option to join a Detroit Riverfront Walking Tour with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.

Afternoon breakout sessions explored:

• Quantifying decarbonization and Scope 3 emissions (GM, Sphera)
• Innovations in aluminum die casting (Norican Group, EcoShot, NADCA, Ecoclean)
• Local conservation initiatives (Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, The Greening of Detroit)
• Battery hazard response strategies (VMX International, Energy Security Agency, Call2Recycle, CellBlock)

The closing plenary featured Desi Ujkashevic (Apple) sharing cross-industry innovation insights, Kara Sherman (KLA) on their sustainability journey, and panels on semiconductor and EV value chain trends (AltaScient, ElectraMet, Fastmarkets) and sustainability leadership in electric mobility (Ricardo, Accelera by Cummins, Eaton E-Mobility).

The event concluded with final remarks from SP leadership, underscoring the Summit’s role as a catalyst for industry collaboration and innovation, and encouraging attendees to engage in SP working groups to continue the conversations throughout the year.

Additional information on the Summit, including event photos, presentations and next steps, is available to current SP member companies. Please contact us if you’d like to learn more about SP and opportunities to participate as a member. All event photos by Hugh Anderson.