First Technical Working Group Meeting between IATF France and SERNAUTO

On May 7, IATF France and SERNAUTO launched their first technical working group meeting.

The session brought together Quality and Audit Managers from over 20 companies within the Spanish automotive supplier industry.

This initiative is part of the collaboration agreement signed between IATF France and SERNAUTO, aiming to give voice—for the first time—to the Spanish automotive industry and to enable it to contribute its expertise toward the ongoing improvement of the IATF standard and certification scheme, as well as to the broader transformation of the sector.

The session was opened by Ismael Escobar, Head of Data and Training at SERNAUTO, who outlined the association’s strategic role at national level. He emphasized that SERNAUTO represents approximately 85% of the sector’s total turnover, making it a key player in the adaptation and implementation of international standards such as IATF.

The meeting also counted on the presence, at SERNAUTO’s facilities in Madrid, of several key representatives:

• Cecilia Medina, Innovation and Talent Manager at SERNAUTO

• Jean-Pierre Fromont, Renault Group’s representative to the IATF Global and President of IATF France
• Javier Fernández Veiga, Technical Project Manager at IATF France

The session continued with a presentation by Liborio Salemi, Director of IATF France, who provided an overview of the IATF global organization, the role of IATF France, and the operational framework of the IATF Scheme.

During his intervention, Mr. Salemi conveyed the following key messages:

• IATF Global is an ad-hoc group composed of 11 OEMs and 5 National Associations, established to develop a common Quality Management System (QMS) standard and a related certification scheme for the benefit of the Global Automotive Supply Chain.
• IATF France is one of five Oversight Offices responsible for administering the IATF Scheme worldwide. It oversees the implementation of the scheme in the Iberian Peninsula, France, and Sweden, and serves as a key point of contact between suppliers and OEMs in these regions.

• The current IATF reference documents are:
  • IATF 16949 Standard
  • IATF Rules – 6th Edition
  • IATF Auditor Guide – 5th Edition

• The second edition of the IATF 16949 Standard is currently in development and will be released following the publication of the revised ISO 9001.

The meeting concluded on a highly positive note. The strong turnout and active engagement highlighted the Spanish industry’s clear interest in contributing to the evolution of the IATF standard and scheme, as well as to broader discussions shaping the future of the automotive sector.

Both IATF France and SERNAUTO extended their sincere appreciation to all participants for their commitment and encouraged continued collaboration in this important transformation process—aligned with the  revolution currently underway in the automotive sector.

The technical working group will reconvene in October 2025.