10 the other hand, because within the manufacturing sector, the share of the automotive industry is significantly higher than in other federal states. We are therefore already confronted with the negative consequences for value creation in the automotive sector due to the government’s forced drive turnaround. This sector will no longer be able to fulfil its traditional role as an engine for innovation, growth, employment and prosperity if there are further setbacks. On the contrary, according to calculations by our Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the politically induced declines in turnover and employment in the field of conventional drive technology will not be compensated for years to come, even taking into account the settlement of the Chinese high-tech company SVOLT. It is therefore all the more important that the SVOLT settlement will be a success and that as many employees as possible will be given viable future opportunities with the help of adaptation training. A clear political commitment at all levels would certainly be helpful for this and for more local acceptance. But all this is far from enough. The conclusion is this: Politics must accompany the process of structural transformation even more intensively and create excellent economic conditions, so that new value creation centres can emerge, for example in the hydrogen economy, where the first promising projects have been implemented, or in the circular economy. This sector in particular offers considerable potential, because the development of recycling capacities for scrapped batteries of electric vehicles is progressing far too slowly in Germany. The Saarland should therefore shift up a gear in the development of disposal and recycling facilities. Then it could take on a pioneering role in this field. But this requires more foresight, courage and determination. I am of the opinion that the Saarland would be a predestined location for this, especially in the light of the planned SVOLT settlement and the scientific excellence of our universities and non-university research institutes. Even more: such facilities would be the basis for a new pole position. So let us work together to preserve the industrial core and at the same time develop the Saarland from a classical automotive supplier location to an innovative technology supplier for future sustainable mobility. This can strengthen regional value creation and secure employment in the long term. Regional transformation clusters, in which the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Autoregion are involved in association with other strategic partners, offer the potential to develop cross-industry model projects and to attract funding for information, advice, networking with science and research, and qualifying employees affected by structural change. In the medium term, all of this will result in a boost for technological innovation, growth and employment which will help us to reduce the growth gap to other federal states. Let’s do it! Share Summary Auf zu einer neuen Pole-Position mit hoher regionaler Wertschöpfung! Von Dr. Carsten Meier, Geschäftsführer der IHK Saarland und Mitglied im Vorstand des Autoregion e.V. Die neue Bundesregierung hat einen Koalitionsvertrag vorgelegt, der leider ein klares Bekenntnis zu Technologieoffenheit und Konsumentensouveränität vermissen lässt. Zwei Grundsätze, für die wir uns in der IHK-Organisation seit vielen Jahren stark machen … Weiterlesen https://t1p.de/owz8 Customers appreciate this, because they know: In addition to the technological lead and the high innovative strength for which the industry stands, it also secures a large part of our prosperity as well as hundreds of thousands of well-paid jobs all over Germany. This pole position has been hard fought for over decades and defended again and again with innovations and investments. But currently there are many indications that this position is being carelessly put at risk. Even for synthetic fuels, which have long been regarded as the energy source of the future, the political tailwind seems to be waning. Despite all the necessity of resolutely pursuing climate protection efforts at all levels: The ecological transformation of our national economy must not lead to the erosion of our country’s industrial core and structural disruptions. In the Saarland, we can experience on a daily basis how strong the pressure to transform is. On the one hand, because we have an above-average number of employees in the manufacturing sector. On Towards a new pole position with high regional added value! By Dr. Carsten Meier, Managing Director of the Saarland Chamber of Commerce and Industry and member of the board of the Autoregion Cluster The new federal government has presented a coalition agreement that unfortunately lacks a clear commitment to technology openness and consumer sovereignty. Two principles that the association of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry has been advocating for many years. And we have done so in close cooperation with the leading associations of the German economy, and for good reason. After all, one of the core competences of our automotive and supplier industry is still combustion engine technology, where it is in many fields a world-beater. Image: © IHK Saarland Dr. Carsten Meier, Managing Director of the Saarland Chamber of Commerce and Industry and member of the board of the Autoregion Cluster
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