Addressing of human factors in the digital transformation of the automotive industry
Authors: Faller Clemens , Weissert Britta 
Published: October 2023

In many regions in Germany, including the so-called "Bergisches Land", the automotive industry has a far above-average significance in terms of employment and value added - this means that the region and the industry are also affected in a special way by the changes that are currently occurring in large numbers and at high speed. These changes have a major impact on the people in Germany, many of whom are directly or indirectly dependent on the automotive industry. Tightening environmental requirements, the increasing digitalization of products and processes, and the growing (de)globalization trends outline the spectrum of challenges facing companies. The different ways in which the subregions are affected by the changes in the automotive (supplier) industry and in the context of the mobility revolution are leading to heterogeneous transformation patterns. The central challenges are a shortage of skilled workers and the supply of companies with skilled workers as well as a lack of (digital) skills. The key to a successful transformation is an action-oriented knowledge intensification.The paper represents the TRAIBER (in engl. DRIVER) project, which has been running for a year at Bochum University of Applied Sciences together with many industry and university partners. The goal of the project is to establish a network under the umbrella of a "living" regional transformation strategy in which all relevant actors learn with and from each other in a participation-oriented process. The transformation strategy to be developed brings together the results of extensive analyses of developments in the region and in its environment (market, competition) with the results of intensive stocktaking of transformation in companies in the region. It forms the "parenthesis" of the project and guides the activities and measures for initiating and implementing the transformation process in the companies and organizations.Tailored to the specific needs of the regional actors, offers for competence development are (further) developed and tested - from the industrial level (adaptation of apprenticeships) to mixed forms ("dual studies") and higher education. In addition, a variety of formats are to be used to enable the players to successfully manage the changes to their business models associated with the transformation, the necessary organizational development measures and the transition to new value networks (higher-level knowledge process). Action-oriented knowledge transfer at the company level is central to a successful transformation process; the transformation competencies of company stakeholders are built up and (further) developed through in-depth application and testing of transformation tools.The result is a modular transformation kit that provides suitable solutions for the various patterns of involvement in the form of courses, methods, guidelines, etc. and is anchored in the region through intensive networking.The project thus represents an important factor in supporting human in the digital transformation of development, products and production processes in the automotive industry.