© BMW Werk Berlin

The automotive industry and its suppliers

The high quality and thematic breadth of the automotive industry and automotive-related research make the region an important location for the automotive industry.

Berlin is the only location in Germany with a significant presence of the three leading German manufacturers BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen. This is a unique combination of excellent R&D activities and high-quality production. Berlin offers attractive conditions for large, small, and medium-sized companies alike.

At a glance

  • Over 200 automotive companies in the region, including 80 manufacturing and supply operations and various engineering firms that employ around 30,000 people;
  • Around 25 academic institutions in the automotive industry;
  • Optimal networking of the regional automotive industry in various networks and centers of expertise;
  • Subsidies and incentives for capital investments, employee training, and research and development projects;
  • Outstanding pool of highly qualified technical specialists and management talent due to various degree programs in the automotive field;
  • Quick access to the automobile manufacturers in Lower Saxony, Saxony, Poland and the Czech Republic thanks to Berlin's central location in the heart of Europe;
  • Competence center for intelligent mobility and test field for networked and autonomous driving;
  • A consortium of various automotive companies offers expertise in the form of a center for clean energy drive technology.

Selected automotive industry companies

The range of companies is broad. Large Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW can be found there along with global players in the supplier industries such as Bosch, Brose, Continental, Gestamp Umformtechnik, Goodyear Dunlop, Knorr-Bremse, Mahle, Pierburg (Rheinmetall), Schaeffler, ZF and many powerful SMEs.

  • The BMW plant in Berlin has repeatedly set records with sales of its motorcycles.
  • Mercedes-Benz plant Berlin, produces, among other things, drive modules for the EQ model series and CAMTRONIC for advanced combustion engines. As a competence center for digitization („Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus“), the plant in Marienfelde acts as a digital startup factory.
  • CARIAD, Volkswagen Group, MBition and Mercedes-Benz Group develop and implement software for vehicles.
  • In addition to its activities in fuel cell technology, the Pierburg plant in Berlin will also manufacture mechanical components for requirements outside the automotive industry.

Flagship stores of major automobile producers in Berlin

Networks, initiatives and associations

Research environment

The universities in the region offer degree programs, among others, in the following fields of study:

Companies and their suppliers benefit from a strong regional research network:

Berlin is a major research location for new propulsion systems and drive energies (clean energy):

Further research topics and test fields in industry:

  • The Digital Urban Traffic Test Bed
    Automated and connected driving, environmentally sensitive traffic management
  • Roadmap for the implementation of automated and connected driving in public transport in Berlin
  • ReTraNetz
    Real-world laboratory for innovative production processes, process chains, and digital business models
  • NoWeL4
    Pilot project by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) in collaboration with partners from industry and science to test autonomous shuttle vehicles in northwestern Berlin

Your contact

Sascha Tiede

Sascha Tiede

Head of Unit
Transport | Mobility |
Logistics

Berlin Partner for Business and Technology

sascha.tiede@berlin-partner.de
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