(Berlin) - At yesterday's summit meeting "Concerted Mobility Action" (KAM), the chairmen of the expert committee presented their recommendations for the design of the "Automotive Industry Future Fund". Accordingly, around one billion euros should be invested between 2021 and 2025 and be available to the automotive industry. The 12-member expert council was founded in November 2020 and has since worked in working groups to develop recommendations for the use of funding with three main focuses:
– Regional cooperation
– Digitalization of the automotive industry
– Manufacturing technology for the mobility of the future
According to the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWi), 340 million euros are available for an overall transfer concept. This promotes regional networks in order to bring local actors together and develop regional strategies. The funding announcement has already been published and the application process is ongoing.
A further 340 million euros will support the digitalization of the automotive industry. According to the information, the main topics include operating systems and e-architectures, software, digital twins and virtualization. In addition, start-ups would be specifically supported.
Finally, 320 million euros will be made available to strengthen sustainable value chains for future mobility. The focus is on the circular economy, electric vehicle production and the production of electric drives. Fuel cells are also included under this focus. The BMWi has already launched a call for funding in the area of electromobility.
In order to become competitive with foreign competitors, the expert council suggests promoting “the establishment of general contractors in the areas of e-axle, battery and fuel cell production”. “As a result, associations should be formed that are able to serve the market for manufacturing technology for e-vehicle production and their components with solutions.” The committee discussed “the strategic and economic relevance of fuel cells in the transformation of the automotive industry” - especially for cars - but assessed differently, according to the commission's report. “Part of the expert committee suggests examining whether the funding recommended here in the area of fuel cell production technology could also be taken up as part of the national hydrogen strategy.”
At the summit meeting of the Concerted Mobility Action in November 2020, the federal government promised to make at least 4,5 billion euros available to support and shape the transformation of the automotive industry: of which at least 1,5 billion euros would be for the “Future Investments in the Future Investments” funding program Vehicle Industry” (launched on February 19, 2021), one billion euros for the automotive industry future fund, one billion euros for the extension of the innovation bonus for e-cars until 2025 (introduced in July 2020) and one billion euros for a program to renew the fleet of trucks .
Further implementation will be carried out by the Federal Ministries of Economic Affairs and Energy, Education and Research, Transport and Digital Infrastructure as well as the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
deep link
https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/DE/Pressemitteilungen/2021/08/20210816-1-mrd-euro-fur-die-zukunftsthemen-der-automobilindustrie-expertenausschuss-legt-seine-forderempfehlungen-vor.html
https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/DE/Publikationen/Wirtschaft/bericht-des-expertenausschuss-zum-zukunftsfonds-automobilindustrie-forderschwerpunkte-fur-den-weg-in-die-mobilitat-der-zukunft.html
https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/DE/Downloads/I/infopapier-massnahmen-des-bmwi-fur-eine-nachhaltige-und-digitale-mobilitaet.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=6
Photos
EnBW opened a new flagship charging park at the Stuttgart transport hub in October. © EnBW Baden-Württemberg AG / Endre Dulic
