Wirtschaftsförderung Raum Heilbronn GmbH

Automotive Future Forum

Some time ago, when nobody was talking about the diesel issue, Dieter Zetsche referred to the challenges facing the automotive industry with the following quote: "No matter how tough we think our business is at the moment - it will get even tougher." Under this motto, the WFG organized a future forum for medium-sized automotive suppliers on 12.09. At this forum, the following questions were discussed with contributions from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, automotive-bw and the entrepreneurs Rainer Schweikert and Dr. Michael Jauss:

- What is the impact of the transformation process in the automotive industry?
- What are the consequences of the internationalization of the industry?
- What will the framework conditions for the strong automotive suppliers in the region look like in the future?

The event was introduced by Lord Mayor Steffen Hertwig and the Head of A8 Production, Mr. Jochen Wagner. At the end of the event, Mr. Wolf Hirschmann from the strategy consultancy slogan presented an instruction manual for the future, outlining the strategic course companies need to set and the key questions entrepreneurs should ask themselves when drawing up their future strategy. The event was largely supported by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs. As part of the same program, companies are offered a two-day strategy workshop called Future Walk.

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Changing tides in the automotive industry

The automotive industry has seen continuous development over many decades. But in the last five years, the industry's environment has changed rapidly. First, globalization brought new markets and new production locations to the attention of OEMs. Now the drive towards electric vehicles and autonomous driving is also bringing about many upheavals in vehicle technology and vehicle networking.

But alongside and behind these mega-trends, there are at least 15 trends and upheavals that will change the work of automotive suppliers. It is worth first of all taking stock of the entire map of change and thinking about the world of tomorrow and beyond. After all, every company is affected differently by the consequences and should find its own recipe for the business of tomorrow.

About the content:

The revolution in the automotive industry before the year 2000
The development of the automotive industry - forecasts up to 2025
Changes in vehicle technology, in vehicle production, in networking and also in the market structure
The respective effects for suppliers
Opportunities and risks in the "new world", the strategic options for your own company

Not all changes have the same impact on individual suppliers and service providers. Rather, it is important to filter out the most important upheavals for the respective product and service range in the jungle and to recognize the individual strategic options.

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Cooperation E-mobil BW

As the innovation agency of the state of Baden-Württemberg, e-mobil BW is the point of contact for all matters relating to new mobility solutions and the automotive industry.

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INNOBIOvc

The development of products along a circular value chain is still a challenge. Potential partners do not know each other, investments are risky and existing regional funding programs reach their limits.

To overcome these challenges, two previously developed Interreg project solutions are being rolled out:

• the Innovation Express Call Scheme (IECS) from ARDIA-Net and
• the Value Chain Generator from AlpLinkBioEco.

This rollout will take place in a transnational network of 6 Alpine regions and 5 countries. The aim is to introduce an improved IECS with a focus on trans-regional value chains, key resources and sectors in agriculture, food and beverages, chemicals, polymers and energy.

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POLREC

Companies in the plastics industry should be encouraged to reduce the environmental impact of their products and at the same time increase Europe's strategic autonomy with regard to raw materials for polymer production.

production. Part of the project aims to encourage companies to change their practices from landfilling and incineration of plastic waste to

landfilling and incineration of plastic waste to the (mechanical or chemical) recycling of polymers into raw materials.

polymers into raw materials.

POLREC focuses on a broad spectrum of industries: Transport and mobility, construction, renewable energy, digital technology and electronics, healthcare, consumer goods and industrial and food packaging.

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TRANSFORMOTIVE

The economic structure of the Heilbronn-Franken region is largely characterized by the automotive industry, its suppliers, equipment manufacturers and service providers as well as the related sectors of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and metal processing. The switch to electric and/or hydrogen mobility and the associated changes in the design of drive systems will pose major challenges for some of the established suppliers. At the same time, the requirements for the parts to be procured are increasing. In addition, digitalization is not only changing the production process, but also the way all companies work.

As part of TRANSFORMOTIVE, a wide range of support services are being set up for companies, ranging from strategy development, product development and market development to the training of the respective workforces, thus laying the foundations for the establishment of a holistic and sustainable mobility economy throughout the region.

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EVOLUTE

EVOLUTE stands for the pursuit of "Cluster Excellence" in the automotive, supplier and agricultural machinery industries. The six clusters involved in the project support companies in the automotive, supplier and agricultural machinery industries in areas such as transformation, digitalization and sustainability.

The so-called "Cluster XChange" will soon be launched, giving companies in Heilbronn-Franken and the surrounding area the exclusive opportunity to visit other partner clusters and companies from the industry in EU countries* with the support of the WFG and to exchange ideas on future topics. As a company, you also have the opportunity to invite companies from the EU countries* and facilitate an exchange here in Heilbronn-Franken (as a host organization). The WFG also supports you in this and there are financial incentives! Lump sums for trips abroad are covered by the EU ClusterXChange program.

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SEFEX

SEFEX was launched in September 2015 with the presentation of the funding decision and has been pursued regularly ever since. The SEFEX project is divided into three main areas: strategy, efficiency and expansion. The member companies of the Metal and Plastics DIALOG are supported in the introduction of strategic management. The aim is to increase efficiency, develop new products and open up new markets. Thanks to the support of the state of Baden-Württemberg, all members can participate free of charge.

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MATEX

The Materials Excellence (MATEX) project is part of the Metal and PlasticsDIALOG cluster initiatives of Wirtschaftsförderung Raum Heilbronn GmbH (WFG Heilbronn) and is funded by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs with a total of 121,000 euros. The applicants are Wirtschaftsförderung Raum Heilbronn GmbH and the Danish Materials Network (DMN) from Esbjerg in Denmark.

MATEX basically aims to improve cross-border and cross-industry cooperation between German and Danish SMEs for innovations and business activities in the plastics and metalworking industry in order to establish long-term innovation and business projects and jointly develop new markets.

The WFG is responsible for the organization of the activities in Germany, while the DMN is responsible for the activities in Denmark. Possible content and modules will be jointly developed and optimally tailored to the participants.

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PERCY

In cooperation with three European network clusters, the Danish Materials Network, the Slovak Plastic Cluster and Elastopole (French plastics cluster), the WFG Heilbronn Region is a partner in a two-year project called PolymER ReCYcling (PERCY for short).

The project aims to strengthen international cooperation between the business networks of the consortium partners in the field of recycling and eco-design of polymer and composite products.

The project is supported by the EU via the EU program "COSME. Europe’s programme for small and medium-sized enterprises" .

The content of this webpage represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) or any other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Agency do not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.

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