Transportation Design at the Car Design Event in Munich

On March 3 and 4, 2026, the international automotive design community gathered in Munich for the Car Design Event (CDE). This annual event is regarded as a key meeting place for designers, manufacturers, the media, and universities, offering insights into current developments and future trends in mobility design.

The Faculty of Design was also represented: Program Director Prof. Kurt Beyer traveled to Munich together with three students from the Transportation Design program. Peer Steffensen and Marie Konstanzer (both 7th-semester Bachelor’s students) as well as Paul Schröder (2nd-semester Master’s student) presented their work as part of the student contributions.

On display were models and renderings from collaborative projects with the Opel and Cupra brands, created during the 2025/26 winter semester. The projects reflect diverse approaches in contemporary mobility design—ranging from conceptual explorations of reducing the automobile to its essential functions to new, hybrid vehicle concepts bridging the gap between cars and e-bikes. 

The event specifically brings industry and emerging talent together: In addition to leading automakers and design studios, selected universities—including Pforzheim University, Munich University of Applied Sciences, and Hof University of Applied Sciences—are given the opportunity to present their projects on the same stage as international OEMs. Thus, the Car Design Event offered students the chance to showcase their work in an international context and engage directly with designers from the industry.

Kurt Beyer sums it up: “For us as a university, it was a very exciting experience to be able to present some of our projects in an international setting on a major design stage. At the same time, it gave Marie, Peer, and Paul the opportunity to participate in inspiring conversations, design presentations, and panel discussions.”

Highlights from the event: