The automotive industry and its suppliers
The quality and wide range of the automotive industry and academic institutions make the region a major player in the automotive industry.
The German capital is the only city in Germany where the three leading German automakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen – have all established locations. Important R&D activities and high-quality manufacturing exist side by side in Berlin, creating a unique concentration of know-how. Berlin offers attractive conditions not only for major companies, but for small and mid-sized companies as well.
At a glance
- Over 200 automotive companies in the region, including 80 manufacturing and supply operations and various engineering firms that employ around 30,000 people;
- Around 25 academic institutions in the automotive industry;
- Optimal networking of the regional automotive industry in various networks and centers of expertise;
- Subsidies and incentives for capital investments, employee training, and research and development projects;
- Outstanding pool of highly qualified technical specialists and management talent due to various degree programs in the automotive field;
- Quick access to the automobile manufacturers in Lower Saxony, Saxony, Poland and the Czech Republic thanks to Berlin's central location in the heart of Europe;
- Competence center for intelligent mobility and test field for networked and autonomous
driving - A consortium of various automotive companies offers expertise in the form of a center for clean energy drive technology.
Selected automotive industry companies
The range of companies is broad. Large Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW can be found there along with global players in the supplier industries such as Bosch, Brose, Continental, Gestamp Umformtechnik, Goodyear Dunlop, Hella, Knorr-Bremse, Mahle, Pierburg, Schaeffler, ZF and many powerful SMEs.
- The BMW plant in Berlin has repeatedly set records with sales of its motorcycles.
- Mercedes-Benz plant Berlin, produces, among other things, drive modules for the EQ model series and CAMTRONIC for advanced combustion engines. As a competence center for digitization, the plant in Marienfelde acts as a digital startup factory.
- CARIAD, Volkswagen Group, MBition and Mercedes-Benz Group develop and implement software for vehicles.
- Knorr-Bremse and Hasse & Wrede are expanding their facilities in Marzahn, where they are manufacturing truck brake parts, vibration dampers and other components.
Networks, initiatives and associations
automotive BerlinBrandenburg aBB
The platform “automotive Berlin-Brandenburg aBB” is a forum for automobile industry in the region to present itself. Berlin and Brandenburg's business development agencies, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology and Brandenburg Invest (WFBB), are active as project partners and advisers to the member companies. Mid-sized companies will be able to develop new technologies and products faster if they collaborate in networks. One important resource for this kind of cooperation is the “carnet” database, which provides information about companies in the region that are active in the sector of automobile-specific technologies.
BeCAN2.0 - the Berlin Automotive Cooperation Network for Asia with a focus on establishing and promoting international cooperation with Chinese companies and multipliers in the Chinese regions and industries - is supported by aBB in terms of content and further developed for other countries, including Japan and Vietnam.
www.ac-bb.de
www.acod.de
ReTraNetz-BB: the regional transformation network for the vehicle and supplier industry Berlin-Brandenburg
The network supports companies in the industry - especially SMEs - in the region by developing strategies and providing implementation support to sustainably shape the economic, ecological, social and, in particular, digital transformation. The basis is the moderated exchange between companies and science, which identifies technological and regional economic scenarios based on them. In the fields of action of innovations in products and processes, business models, qualification and skilled workers as well as securing employment, concrete implementation steps are being designed along the lines of the mission statement and systematically monitored over the next few years.
retranetz-bb.de
VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
VDI/VDE is a comprehensive service provider in the high-technology sector. With services related to the promotion of research, technology policy and innovation management, VDI/VDE covers the entire spectrum of the innovation process, from research to implementation to market entry and end use of new technologies. Its focus is on information technology.
vdivde-it.de
The German Transportation Forum
(Das Deutsche Verkehrsforum)
The German Transportation Forum has been based in Berlin for many years, and it is the only industry association in Germany that represents interests from across all modes of transport and is exclusively involved with the transport sector. The forum works to improve transportation conditions and secure mobility in Germany and Europe.
www.verkehrsforum.de
Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology
(Fraunhofer Institut für Produktionsanlagen und Konstruktionstechnik - IPK)
The IPK functioned as a cooperation management partner to assist a group of rapid prototyping companies in gaining access to the market as suppliers of the Drive and Vehicle Technology divisions. The software application VIENTO accelerates the search for suppliers.
www.ipk.fraunhofer.de
The German Association of Automobile Manufacturers (VDA)
(Verband der Automobilindustrie e. V. – VDA)
The VDA is the association for the promotion of German automobile manufacturers and suppliers. The VDA’s tasks include representing interests, exchanging views between members and revising German automobile industry standards. The VDA is an organiser of the International Motor Show (IAA), one of the largest and most significant international automobile exhibitions worldwide.
www.vda.de/en
German Engineering Federation
(Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.V.)
The VDMA is one of the key industry associations and service providers in Europe and forms the largest network of capital goods producers in Europe. Its overall mission is built around four core principles: “Networked thinking, networked actions“, “Creating the corporate tomorrow“, “Technology for you and me“, and “Europe and the World“. The organization providing optimal support to VDMA members includes associations for specific engineering disciplines, regional associations, central departments dealing with engineering and machine building topics as well as subsidiary service companies.
www.vdma.org
The German Electrical and Electronics Industry Association
(Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie e.V. – ZVEI)
ZVEI represents the interests of the German electrical and electronics industry with regard to economic, technology and environmental policy at the national, European and international levels. It provides targeted information about the economic, technical and legal conditions under which the electrical and electronics industries operate in Germany.
www.zvei.org
Flagship stores of major automobile producers in Berlin
Mercedes-Welt
Mercedes-Benz maintains a strong presence at Salzufer with a 35,000 square-meter car dealership, brand center and event venue that hosts over 200 events per year.
www.mercedes-benz-berlin.de
Smart Center Berlin
DaimlerChrysler reinforced its presence in Berlin with this car showroom, which opened in 2004.
www.smart.mercedes-benz.com
Autoshowroom BMW
All kinds of exhibitions and events related to the BMW brand take place in this showroom, which opened in 2014.
www.bmw.com
VW Automobilforum
VW's communication center is located on the "Unter den Linden" boulevard. The company uses the space to present itself, its brands and services to the public. In addition to introductions to the brands Bentley, Bugatti, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge (utility vehicles), visitors to the Automobile Forum can expect to find exhibitions about cars and changing art and music events.
drive-volkswagen-group.com
