Selected companies in the Automotive and Suppliers Cluster
BMW Group Plant Leipzig powers ahead
BMW is pushing ahead with the expansion of e-component manufacturing at its plant in Saxony. In August 2022, its second production line for battery modules went into operation. The Leipzig plant is thus making an important contribution to supplying the BMW Group’s growing number of electric vehicles with battery components. The e-component production unit already employs over 700 people. “The Leipzig plant is powering ahead,” declared factory manager Petra Peterhänsel in delight. “Following the phase-out of BMW i3 production, we can harness the expertise and experience of our employees and offer them jobs with long-term security.” In 2023, e-component production will be made more flexible and also expanded again, creating yet more jobs. Another major milestone will be the construction of the successor to the MINI Countryman, which will first roll off the production line in Leipzig in 2023. Buyers of this crossover model will be able to choose between petrol and electric versions.
Porsche in Leipzig prepares for e-mobility
Porsche’s car plant in Saxony is investing in the training of today’s and tomorrow’s skilled workers. More than 120 apprentices are now laying the foundations for their professional future there. The curriculum is constantly updated to keep up with the changing automotive industry. One topic high on the agenda, both for apprentices and for in-service training for the rest of the workforce, is electric vehicles – in fact, Porsche’s Leipzig plant is currently being transformed into a centre of excellence for electromobility. In fact, the next generation of the Macan compact SUV will be produced as a purely electric series. In 2021, more than 118,000 Porsche Macans and Panameras rolled off the assembly line in Leipzig.
Award for sustainability
Production at the Porsche plant in Leipzig has been carbon-neutral since 2021. It recently received the prestigious Lean & Green Management Award for its highly successful lean management approaches in conjunction with environmental and sustainability aspects.
GF Casting Solutions Leipzig
GF Casting Solutions Leipzig GmbH, a foundry owned by the Swiss GF Casting Solutions AG (a division of Georg Fischer AG) is doing brisk business. At the biggest automatic moulding plant in Europe, some 300 members of staff produce cast components weighing from 70kg to 1,200kg. They’re used in construction machinery, forestry and agriculture, commercial vehicles, and general engineering. To keep finding the right solutions for its clients in Germany and abroad more efficiently, 3D printing has been used since 2018. Prototype and batch production is assisted by the Innovation Centre for Additive Manufacturing. GF Casting Solutions is also securing its long-term future by tapping new business segments such as solar thermal energy. By consistently focusing on supply chain sustainability, processes, materials and in-service training, GF is both a solutions provider and an attractive employer in the region.
Neue ZWL Zahnradwerk Leipzig
The automotive industry is rising to the challenge of preserving an environment worth living in for coming generations. To achieve this goal, new transportation concepts are emerging, and in future, the principle of carbon neutrality will apply not only to the production of vehicles, but also to how they are driven. Neue ZWL Zahnradwerk Leipzig GmbH is using its experience to actively shape this process of transformation, and 12 per cent of its sales are already generated in the field of alternative engines. Despite Covid-19, orders for hybrid drive systems have risen substantially. And the company’s successful course is continuing thanks to
Source: Leipzig Means Business 2022