Leipzig (dpa/sn) – The alliance of European automotive regions, founded this summer, wants to discuss the change in the automotive industry at its first meeting in Leipzig. The EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, is also expected to attend the meeting in the Leipzig Congress Center.
The “Automotive Regions Alliance” currently has 29 regions, Italy alone is represented with nine regions and Germany with five. Another five areas currently have observer status and want to join the alliance, including the federal states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Saarland.
According to the Saxon Regional Development Minister Thomas Schmidt (CDU), the automotive industry in Europe needs a common strategy and more state aid. “The industry is facing a major transformation process. It’s not just about new drive systems and the switch to electric cars. Digitization and the contribution of the automotive industry to climate protection are also major challenges,” he said. Not only the big car manufacturers are affected by the upheaval, but also the suppliers. Around 1.8 million companies with at least 16 million employees are behind the entire industry in Europe.
