Technology Days in Coburg: Brose recognizes innovative ideas

In April the Brose Group used its Technology Days (TechDays) on the future of the automobile to honor the innovative strength of its suppliers and in-house experts. Business partners from all over Europe joined Brose technicians and developers in Bamberg to showcase innovative products and processes. The event opened with keynotes given by Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, long-standing member of the board of management of Daimler AG responsible for development and member of the advisory board of the Brose Group, and Prof. Dr. Tong Zhang from Tongji University Shanghai, one of China’s most prestigious universities. The Brose Supplier Innovation Award – the company’s most important supplier award – was also presented on 18 April to Trumpf Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH from Ditzingen.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber used Daimler AG’s CASE strategy to illustrate the four megatrends in the automotive industry. He discussed the challenges associated with connectivity (connected), autonomous driving (autonomous), car sharing (shared) and electrification (electric): “OEMs and suppliers must strengthen their core business to handle the enormous investments that will be necessary in these areas. They need to put their best people to work on the development of their existing product portfolio – but the best of the best to work on their new products,” explained Weber. The e-mobility market in China is also driving the automotive industry worldwide. Prof. Dr. Tong Zhang urged the participants to seize the opportunities brought about by change and face it with creativity and innovation.

“There are diverse and complex challenges associated with the transformation in the automotive industry. The only way to meet these challenges is by working even more closely with each other across divisions and functions and building even stronger collaborative networks with our suppliers and customers,” explained Kurt Sauernheimer, CEO of the Brose Group. “We need to work together to push ahead with new ideas quickly and successfully. This applies to both new products and efficient workflows in development, production and logistics.”

During the Brose TechDays suppliers engage in direct dialog with specialists and executive management. Brose has had business relationships with many of these partners for decades. Other successful partnerships are still in their infancy. “This event gives our suppliers a platform for discussing innovations with Brose early on and advancing their implementation in series production with our employees from the various functional areas. At the same time, participation should be a motivating factor that encourages them to work together with us on our common goals with passion and dedication,” emphasized Periklis Nassios, Executive Vice President Purchasing Brose Group.

Trumpf Lasertechnik received the highest accolade – the Brose Supplier Innovation Award. The award is presented once a year in the Europe, Asia and North America regions. It recognizes excellence in innovation and collaborative partnership. Brose uses Trumpf’s innovative laser welding technology for its drives. It makes it possible to create more compact motor housings that can be used more flexibly in different applications. “Alongside the technological advancements, joint product development in the early stages of the process led to rapid market readiness and gave us a genuine competitive advantage,” explained Joachim Hoff, Vice President Production Technology Drives Brose Group. Klaus Löffler, Managing Director and Head of Sales and Services at Trumpf Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH, praised the collaboration with Brose in his acceptance speech: “Working together on a concept until it is series ready while also creating value for the customer is what takes us to the next level.”