Drive2Transform - Integrative Regional Approaches for the Transformation of the Automotive Industry

Since 1 June 2024, the Katowice SEZ, coordinator of the Silesia Automotive & Advanced Manufacturing Cluster, together with 8 partners, has started the new European Project "Integrative Regional Approaches for the Transformation of the Automotive Industry" (Drive2Transform for short).

The Drive2Transform project is implemented under the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE 2021-2027 Programme and has received almost 1.8 mln Euro from the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union. The project will run for 30 months.

The automotive industry is in the middle of a transformative shift. The emergence of new manufacturing technologies, advanced digital and material technologies, the move towards zero-carbon mobility, as well as demographic and climate change, require a transformation of the entire value chain of this industry.

This process of sectoral transformation will be particularly difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises. SMEs do not always have access to knowledge about new technologies and the impact of European legislation on their business. SMEs also sometimes find it difficult to adopt trends such as electrification, connectivity, automation and the platform economy, so sector transformation can be challenging for them. SMEs often do not have the resources to analyse potential transformation scenarios, assess opportunities and prepare a transformation plan towards specialisation, diversification or re-branding beyond the automotive sector.

Drive2Transform seeks to assist businesses, particularly SMEs in navigating the changes brought about by the transformation of the automotive industry,with the ultimate goal of safeguarding Europe's market dominance.

To achieve this ambitious objective, a collaborative, cross-regional strategy will be employed, allowing all regions involved to reap mutual benefits. The pivotal element of this strategy is the Transnational Automotive Open Transformation Platform (TOP). Through the platform, the partners offer the sector tailor-made support in form of tested readiness models, regional adaptation scenarios, and capacity-building measures