Federal Minister Robert Habeck met with the Expert Group on the Transformation of the Automotive Industry (ETA) today to discuss the current situation of the automotive sector in Germany and the prerequisites for a successful transformation. The talks focused on the necessary policy decisions for a resilient supply of raw materials and semiconductors and the use of vehicle data. In the run-up to the meeting, the expert group had drawn up recommendations for action.


Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Dr Robert Habeck said: "A successful transformation of the automotive industry in Germany is essential for Germany to continue as a centre for the automotive sector. The automotive industry is a driver of innovation and an important employer in our country. Together, we need to press ahead with the transformation to climate-friendly drives, which is already fully underway, to make sure that Germany continues to be a frontrunner when it comes to producing innovative, high-quality vehicles.


"The federal government is supporting the automotive industry – both manufacturers and suppliers – in this transformation process. The Economic Affairs Ministry alone makes available more than six billion euros in the coming years. We are strengthening supply chains and forward-looking technologies in Germany by implementing our key points for a secure supply of raw materials and by promoting the establishment of large-scale production plants in the field of semiconductors. The automotive industry in particular will also benefit from this."

Prof Dr Dr h.c.Monika Schnitzer, co-chair of ETA, said: "The resilience of the automotive supply chains is an essential issue for the expert group. For this reason, we have drawn up recommendations for action to strengthen the resilience of raw materials supply chains in the automotive sector, which we published today. The expert group recommends a broad range of flexible measures, including the following key elements: creating transparency about the supply side, the demand side and the criticality of raw materials, securing the growing demand by means of diversified imports from non-European countries, strengthening the circular economy, and pressing ahead with technical innovation."

Prof Dr Ina Schaefer, co-chair of ETA, said: "In addition to a reliable supply of raw materials, semiconductors already play a very important role for the automotive industry, and will become even more important in the future. The expert group also adopted recommendations for action in the field of the supply of semiconductor components for the German automotive sector today. We recommend to strengthen cooperation along the entire value chain, promote the respective occupations and degree courses, and focus on public funding for those parts of the value chain which have a strategic significance for the automotive sector and at the same time a good position in international competition."

The expert group also submitted recommendations for action for a possible regulatory framework for the use of vehicle data, functions and resources today. A successful digital transformation is one key factor for the future competitiveness of the German automotive industry. Vehicles are becoming increasingly interconnected and are generating more and more data, while the value of software in vehicles is growing. The use of vehicle data has a lot of potential for innovation as products can be improved and new services can be offered. In this context, data protection, vehicle and traffic safety, and an adequate protection of business secrets and the protection of intellectual property right need to be ensured.

At EU level, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action advocates the strengthening of supply chains and the circular economy in the context of the negotiations on the Critical Raw Materials Act with the aim of a resilient supply of raw materials. At the same time, funding instruments are currently being created to help companies to secure their raw materials supply. This applies to both R&D activities and investment in specific projects in the fields of primary and secondary raw materials extraction to secure raw materials supply in Germany and abroad.


In addition, the federal government is pressing ahead with the expansion of the production of semiconductors along the entire value chain in Germany by means of comprehensive funding measures in the context of the EU Chips Act and the IPCEI on microelectronics and communication technologies. Innovative large-scale investment has been announced, including the planned establishment of plants by TSMC (joint venture with Bosch, Infineon and NXP) in Dresden, Intel in Magdeburg and ZF/Wolfspeed in Ensdorf and the expansion of capacities by Infineon in Dresden, from which the automotive industry in particular will benefit.


The Expert Group on the Transformation of the Automotive Industry (ETA) consists of 13 members which were appointed by Federal Minister Dr Robert Habeck for the current legislative term. The independent advisory body draws up recommendations for action for a successful transformation of the automotive industry involving further experts. You can find current information and publications regarding the Expert Group on the Transformation of the Automotive Industry (in German) at https://expertenkreis-automobilwirtschaft.de/.