In a recent interview with The BRAKE Report, Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon, the global leader in optical AI for counterfeit and gray market identification, recently shed light on the escalating issue of counterfeit brake parts infiltrating the automotive supply chain.
Brake parts form a crucial aspect of vehicle safety. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) meticulously test and subject these systems to stringent quality control to ensure their impeccable performance. Yet, the burgeoning gray market and counterfeit industry pose significant risks, with products that haven’t undergone these rigorous tests and may fail when most needed. Ganzarski believes the issue extends beyond individual vehicle safety, imperiling public health and the security of the automotive supply chain.
“Bad actors distributing counterfeit and gray market parts threaten automotive supply chain security. The authenticity of safety-critical components like brakes could mean the difference between life and death,” he explained.
However, Ganzarski also highlighted a silver lining – the advent of technology designed to identify, authenticate, and trace products. The goal is simple: keep counterfeit goods off our roads and out of our sprawling supply lines.
Alitheon’s FeaturePrint technology, described as creating a unique digital fingerprint for items, is at the forefront of this effort. It uses a simple photograph to irrefutably identify original items and flag inauthentic ones, staunchly combating the spread of fake and illegally sold goods.
The CEO sees this technology as a significant stride in maintaining automotive supply chain integrity. Yet, he also points to the importance of awareness and understanding among leaders in the automotive industry.
Ganzarski states, “Industry leaders need to understand not just how this technology works but also why they should protect against counterfeit and gray markets. Counterfeit auto parts cause public health and safety risks that we cannot overlook.”
With rising trends in global automotive counterfeiting and gray markets, the fight against inauthentic parts has become more critical than ever. Ensuring the authenticity of safety-critical systems and components, Ganzarski argued, is not merely a matter of business integrity but of public safety and trust.
Learn more about Alitheon, and its FeaturePrint technology here.
