The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is providing 7.1 million euro in funding for the “ATLAS—Automotive Transformation Platform in Southern Westphalia” research project. Small and mid-sized companies will be working with the University of Siegen to better prepare themselves for the challenges of the future.
Southern Westphalia is the third-largest industrial region in Germany and a hub for the automotive industry, dominated in Germany by small and mid-sized firms. With over 500 companies and roughly 52,000 employees, the automotive industry is an important economic pillar and decisive employment factor in southern Westphalia. The changeover from classical combustion engine to electric vehicles has brought with it far-reaching structural changes that have taken an oversized impact on small and mid-sized parts suppliers in particular. Yet today’s industrial players are also facing transformational challenges related to energy shortages, climate change, digitization, and a lack of skilled employees.