This collaborative project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), supports the automotive supply industry in the Bergisch region in positioning itself for the future. The consortium is led by the Institute for Technologies and Management of Digital Transformation (TMDT) at the University of Wuppertal. Together with its partners automotiveland.nrw, Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Bergischer Bildungscampus and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, the initiative combines sound scientific methods with practical business experience.

Reliable real-world data presented

At the conference, the consortium presented comprehensive findings that had been developed over recent months in direct collaboration with regional businesses:

• Results from six regional strategy dialogues: the development of guiding frameworks and future scenarios through ongoing dialogue between industry, research and regional stakeholders.
• Findings from over 15 in-depth case studies: detailed analyses of operational transformation pathways, technical hurdles and organisational success factors on the ground in companies in the Bergisches Land region.
• Needs analyses based on over 50 interviews and workshops: concrete identification of future training and skills requirements for specialist staff and managers in the automotive SME sector.

Digitalisation, Artificial Intelligence and Regional Attractiveness

The conference’s discussions and expert forums highlight the areas where companies must now take action: alongside the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and end-to-end digitalisation in development and manufacturing, a modern leadership culture has taken centre stage in the change process. However, regional stakeholders also have a responsibility to ensure a successful transformation process. This is demonstrated by the results of the strategy dialogues conducted and the regional strategy developed: in order to retain talent in the long term and encourage new businesses to set up in the area, the attractiveness of the Bergisch region as a business location must be strengthened across all sectors and institutions.

The tools, guidelines and training modules presented are available to companies in the network for direct use within their organisations.

Further information on the project can be found on the website traiber.nrw .