MOVE discusses the future of the automotive industry
The ban on registering new combustion engine cars and the new investment strategy of Poland and Europe will be the topics of the next MOVE congress, which will take place on April 4 at the Poznań Motor Show. The show is the most significant automotive event in this part of Europe, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.
For the past five years, a group of several hundred experts and practitioners from the automotive sector has been exchanging knowledge, experiences, and ideas in the field of sustainable transport. Undoubtedly, the most resonant topic will be the ban on registering new combustion engine cars from 2035 within the European Union. The regulations passed last year have become a catalyst for arguably the most significant change in the history of the automotive industry.
"To make this revolutionary change happen, factories will have to completely shift their production. Undoubtedly, this requires the introduction of appropriate support programs from the government and special economic solutions to maintain the competitiveness of the automotive industry sector," says Tomasz Kobierski, CEO of the Grupa MTP, the organizer of the congress.
To compete with economic powerhouses, the industry wants to create a new industrial policy at the level of Poland and the European Union. The automotive industry alone constitutes 8 percent of Poland's GDP and over 21 percent of the entire industry's exports, with a value of $15.1 billion, which increases every year. Our country is referred to as the hub of automotive parts.
The new regulations force strategic changes. "We need more pro-investment instruments that will attract large investments of the new era to Poland – replacing factories of components and combustion vehicles with jobs and taxes from environmentally friendly production of zero-emission vehicles," says Ilona Antoniszyn, former Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economy, and for the past 8 years, dealing with strategic investments at the Volkswagen Group in Poland.
Simultaneously with the revolution concerning zero-emission drives, there is an ongoing energy and digital transformation. 'If products and components for low-emission vehicles are produced in our factories, which will also be powered by green and affordable energy, we will defend Polish jobs in the automotive industry. Over 250,000 people work in factories in Poland alone, and in the entire automotive sector, it is over 1 million in total,' emphasizes CEO Tomasz Kobierski.
Manufacturers emphasize that achieving success requires collaboration between administration and many industrial sectors. 'Poland is capable of attracting new investors, for example, through its enormous potential for zero-emission energy production. This requires appropriate regulations. Additionally, we need competent green transformation staff, significant at the European level, which we should systematically educate,' notes Ilona Antoniszyn.
A significant portion of the discussion panels during the MOVE Congress will be devoted to key challenges for the Polish economy in the context of global competitiveness and the fight against climate change.
'Poland should have conditions to compete with global economies, so we should jointly create a new industrial policy for the automotive industry at the level of Poland and the European Union. The industry wants to present its expectations and proposals at the MOVE Congress, which will lay the groundwork for developing strategies,' emphasizes Ilona Antoniszyn.
Experts unanimously underline that the Polish industry is facing the most significant changes since the 1990s, with the most significant impact visible in the automotive industry. 'The automotive industry must combine not only mechanical, energy, digital competencies but also chemical competencies (e.g., in batteries). We will discuss such actions together with public administration and business. Collaboration is the key to achieving this goal, and that's why we invite all industries to the conversation,' adds Tomasz Kobierski.
The organizer of the MOVE Congress – International Mobility Congress is the Grupa MTP. The main substantive partners are the Polish Automotive Industry Association and the Polish Chamber of Electromobility Development.
Additional informations:
The MOVE Congress is a separately ticketed event. A ticket for the Poznań Motor Show does not authorize participation in the Congress.