Erfurt (dpa/th) - The federal government is supporting a funding project to deal with structural change in the Thuringian automotive and supplier industry. The "Automotive Network Transformation Thuringia" will receive around 1.6 million euros in federal funds by mid-2025, the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on Sunday in Erfurt. According to the information, the network wants to develop strategies and solutions on how the supply industry in the West Thuringian region, which is heavily influenced by car manufacturing, can be secured and made future-proof.
According to the information, the sponsor of the initiative is a consortium that includes the Thuringian Transformation Agency Automotive, the Erfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Thuringian Innovation Center Mobility in Ilmenau. The pilot region includes the Wartburg district, the districts of Sömmerda, Gotha, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, as well as the Ilm district and the Unstrut-Hainich district.
With around 15,000 employees and an annual turnover of almost 3.8 billion euros, the automotive and supplier industry is a leading sector for Thuringia. The trend from combustion engines to electric cars, the development towards autonomous driving as well as increased prices for energy and primary products posed enormous challenges for the Thuringian automotive industry.
