Dr. Nico Depner studied automotive engineering at RWTH Aachen University. In 2011 he started as scientific research assistant at the Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) in the field of vehicle concept development leading numerous R&D projects with international OEMs, suppliers and start-ups. After fostering the HMI business as team lead, he later became Head of the Vehicle Concept & HMI department. In 2019 he moved to fka GmbH as Head of the Vehicle Concept, Body & Interior department. Since 2022 he is with Yanfeng, working on cross-business-unit interior innovations in close collaboration with the industrial design, UI and UX team.

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI) is a global automotive supplier. Based in Shanghai, China, the company develops and manufactures interior components for vehicles. These include instrument panels and cockpit systems as well as door panels, centre consoles and overhead control units.