EASNTowards a European Network to Improve Cluster

Management in the Automotive Sector

Innovation in Automotive and Support PoliciesTorino, November 8th & 9th, 2007

Content

The European automotive sector Challenges in innovation European Automotive Strategy Network (EASN) A short note on BeLCAR

The European automotive sector

The automotive sector

OEM and suppliers:Big multi-technology suppliersmedium-sized, family-owned

suppliers of modules in the pre-modularisation sense

suppliers of components, mostly small firms.

Hierarchical structure Globalisation and regionalisation System integration and

modularisation

General trends

• Globalisation• Increasing cost pressure • New strategies of OEM‘s• New technologies (electronics,

brake-by-wire, steer-by-wire, telematics, new materials, ...).

• Increased need for training of employees

OEMs vs. Suppliers

Challenges in innovation

Recent trends

High innovation pressure Increased number of car types and variants Niches and specialists, knowledge intensive services Reduced development time Globalisation of the markets Re-configuration of the production value chain

SMEs need high flexibility and inventiveness.

Innovation is crucial for competitiveness.

European Automotive Strategy Network

Purpose

The purpose of EASN is to strengthen the EU Automotive Industry by

– identifying the main issues of concern to the industry; – sharing those concerns with stakeholders at regional,

national and European level;– influencing policy at EU level, which feeds through to

relevant DGs and the design & development of suitable instruments to support the industry.

Objectives

Disseminate good practices and methodologies in cluster management

Assist SMEs belonging to the regional clusters to enter European co-operation projects

Discuss and agree on policy recommendations to be forwarded to European and national policy makers

Develop joint activities and projects networking regional clusters and cluster management organisations

Founding partners

Four European projects agreed on joint activities: Europe INNOVA cluster networks BeLCAR and

TCAS Interreg IIIC projects Automotive Regions and

NEAC Article 6 project I-CAR-O

These projects bring together more than 50 actors

from 14 Member States.

Next steps

Extension of the network Establishment of a (virtual) EASN office Development and agreement of a joint

business plan Akquisition of funding (e.g. through

INTERREG IVC)

Project contacts:

– Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH

Holger BachTel: +49 711 22835 59

Fax: +49 711 22835 55

holger.bach@region-stuttgart.de

www.europe-innova.org

BeLCAR is a project funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry

Contacts