Driving Innovation from Conventional to Fuel Cell Motor Technology - the Case of Baden-Württembarg
Driving Innovation from Conventional to Fuel Cell Motor Technology - the Case of Baden-Württembarg
Currently, the automotive parts and services industry in the state of Baden-Württemberg is much adapted to providing for conventional motor (i.e. diesel and gasoline fuel) technology. For components necessitated by fuel cell technologies only few capacitating structures (e.g. companies specialised in electric motors, performance electronics etc.) can be made out. This is background to ongoing plans for a European fuel cell production site, also competed for by a local company. Taking into consideration the relatively extensive direct and indirect dependence of the labour market on the automotive industry (every sixth workplace in manufacturing as of 1994), significant impacts can be projected from technological and competitive shifts in production. The co-operation based project therefore, launching a symposium to this purpose, sought to create such awareness among local businesses and to discuss potentials for action. This meant to address mainly the SME dominated automotive parts and serices industry, since the car makers presumably share this awareness already and conduct analyses in their own right. The ZEW, within the co-operative nature of the project, signed responsible for assessing the direct and indirect employment effects induced by the shift in motor technology using the Input-Output Model "EMI 2.0", which had been adjusted to suit the state level of Baden-Württemberg.