Almost 780,000 people currently work in the automotive sector in Germany. According to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, this sector is the most important industry in the country. Yet the mobility sector is facing one of the greatest challenges in its history.
German automotive companies have been getting fewer new orders. In August of this year, the business climate for the industry fell by 6.2 points to -24.7, as determined by the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich. Adding to the problem, efforts to achieve more sustainable mobility are also creating their own set of challenges. In the future, it will be necessary to further reduce vehicle emissions and find new paths forward to render the manufacturing process more environmentally friendly. The increase in electromobility will also require an expansion of the charging infrastructure. Moreover, digitization is becoming increasingly important, whether in the field of automated driving or for digital mobility services. How can service providers such as car dealerships or auto repair shops deal with all of these changes and find viable solutions to so many diverse challenges?
The Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0 – or Future Workshop 4.0 – in the city of Esslingen am Neckar, near Stuttgart in the state of Baden-Württemberg, aims to be part of the solution in this time of change and uncertainty within the industry. The facility – a combination of innovative showcase, training center and event venue – was designed by a partner network of 130 equipment suppliers, manufacturers, industry service providers and educational institutions, including TÜV SÜD. The goal of the facility is to provide inspiration within the branch for the automotive industry of the future and to develop tangible new concepts and ideas.
The connection of theory and practice plays an important role in this; tools, technologies and applications from the various partners are presented in the exhibition area so that visitors can directly try out the innovations. This hands-on approach gives people a literal grasp of future technologies. In additional to conventional workstations, there is also a hydrogen workstation that can be booked in the workshop.
For the theory section, the Future Workshop 4.0 offers training courses and organizes industry events. In one of the training courses currently being offered, car dealerships and auto repair shops can learn how to optimize their energy costs. The Workshop also operates an “Innovation Radar” – a digital knowledge database intended to consolidate expertise from the entire partner network. As a whole, the facility is intended to be a showcase for state-of-the-art technology and to help a traditional industry become fit for the future with the latest in modern technology.
