Automediat.com Brings “The Focus on Scandinavian IAM” Event to the Automechanika Frankfurt Stage
“The Focus on Scandinavian IAM,” Wednesday, September 9, 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Organizers: Automediat.com and Messe Frankfurt.
Location: Automechanika Academy, Hall 8.0. The event is part of Automechanika Frankfurt’s international expert program.
The event will examine the structure, market volumes, and future prospects of the automotive aftermarket in all the Nordic countries. Held on the Academy Stage, the event will feature speakers from spare parts and repair shop industry associations in Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, as well as a leading expert specializing in international market data.
Key themes of the event include market structure, electrification, trends in the vehicle fleet, skill requirements for repair shops, the spare parts market, the importance of data, sustainable development, and industry regulation.
Antti Wolk will discuss the structure and potential of the Nordic aftermarket
A broader market overview will be presented by Antti Wolk, CEO and partner at Wolk & Nikolic Aftersales Intelligence GmbH.
Wolk’s presentation, “The Nordic Automotive Aftermarket – Deep Dive into Market Structures, Sales Potentials, and Regional Dynamics,” focuses on the structures of the Nordic aftermarket, sales potential, and regional differences.
Wolk & Nikolic specializes in research, market data, and business intelligence solutions for the international automotive aftermarket. Wolk’s perspective provides comparable market data and a broader European perspective to complement the country-specific presentations.
The slow renewal of Finland’s vehicle fleet is affecting the aftermarket
Finland will be represented at the event by Harri Heilimä, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Automotive Service Providers (AAPT). His presentation, “How Has Electrification Affected Finland’s Automotive Aftermarket?”, examines the impacts of electrification, particularly from the perspective of the structure of Finland’s vehicle fleet.
Finland’s vehicle fleet is being renewed slowly. According to Heilimä, this is reflected in the aftermarket as two parallel trends: electrification is advancing, but at the same time, a large number of older internal combustion engine vehicles will remain on the road for a long time. The need for maintenance and repairs of the older vehicle fleet sustains the workload of independent repair shops, while the technology of the newer fleet places new demands on repair shops in terms of expertise and equipment.
The presentation also addresses the impact on the repair shop sector of regulations concerning batteries, their repair, and the use of used replacement parts.
In Sweden, the focus is on expertise, sustainability, and a level playing field
Lars Bergmark, CEO of Svenska Fordonsbranschen, will present the Swedish aftermarket. The organization brings together approximately 2,000 independent aftermarket repair shops and wholesale operators.
In his presentation, Bergmark will examine the structure of the Swedish IAM market, the organization of the industry, and key current issues affecting the operating environment.
Svenska Fordonsbranschen’s work emphasizes, among other things, the availability of a skilled workforce, sustainable development, and a level playing field for the independent aftermarket. Bergmark also has extensive experience in the tire industry; prior to his current role, he held management positions at international tire manufacturers.
International Discussion on the Nordic IAM Market
The event will be moderated by Tommaso Caravani, a leading Italian journalist and publisher in the aftermarket sector. Following the country-specific presentations, the program will feature a panel discussion on the development of the Nordic aftermarket and future challenges.
“The Focus on Scandinavian IAM,” curated by AUTOMEDIAT.COM, brings the perspective of the independent aftermarket in Finland and the other Nordic countries to the international Academy program at Automechanika Frankfurt.
Automechanika Frankfurt will take place September 8–12, 2026. Automediat.com will report on the events at the trade show and will pay particular attention to developments in the aftermarket and repair shop sectors.
