Automotive & Mobility
Building the vehicles of tomorrow
The Leipzig Region is the perfect location to grow your automotive business – with excellent research partners, business connections, skilled workers and logistics links, world-leaders in the automotive industry are using the Leipzig Region to succeed.
Hardly any other sector is currently undergoing such dynamic change as the automotive & supplier industry.
The current disruptive challenges brought about by the transition from the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) age to electric vehicles are being addressed here in Autoland Saxony, where Leipzig based companies are at the forefront of this revolution. 1 in 4 electric vehicles in Europe are currently produced in Saxony, Germany.
When it comes to the automotive industry, Germany is a renowned powerhouse, producing almost 30% of all passenger cars in the EU in 2020 (incl. UK and EFTA).
Ever since Karl Benz built the first commercial motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine in 1886, German engineers have designed and developed some of the best cars in the world. Germany is also the number one market for passenger cars in Europe and half of the 20 new battery manufacturing sites in Europe that are currently operational or under construction are in Germany. At the same time, Germany is steadily building charging infrastructure, with two billion euros available for a total of 50,000 fast-charging points planned by 2022.
As a traditional centre for cosmopolitanism, innovation and revolution, the Leipzig Region, with its strong automotive cluster, is the ideal starting point for this technological E-mobility transformation. What began in the early noughties with the branches of Porsche and BMW has since developed into a thriving location for the entire chain of automotive production. A transformation associated with enormous growth has attracted many companies to the Leipzig Region, including E-mobility software companies like Intech and IT service providers like Ferchau Leipzig Mobility.
19,378 Employees
766 Companies in the region
2 billion € Turnover p.a.
10,000 available skilled workers
100+ available spaces >10,000 m²
1 in 4 Electric vehicles in Europe produced by Autoland Saxony
Automotive success stories in the Leipzig Region
Two industry giants, BMW and Porsche, have expanded several times locally since 2002 and today produce about 1,500 vehicles a day in their ultra-modern plants with approximately 10,000 employees.
Meanwhile, the future of the industry has already begun in the Leipzig Region: BMW is producing its i3 and i8 electric vehicles in series production for the first time at the site – in one of the world’s leading plants for electric vehicles and lightweight carbon construction.
Porsche is investing over €600 million in the fifth expansion project at its Leipzig Region car plant and will be manufacturing the next-generation Macan, a purely electric vehicle. These new sites highlight a clear commitment to the region.
This shift to E-mobility has drawn significant battery production to the Leipzig Region and neighbouring areas, including Daimler subsidiary Accumotive, and planned developments by Dräxlmaier, who will produce batteries for Porsche, and Farasis, who will manufacture batteries for Mercedes Benz “Electric-First” strategy.
Automotive ecosystem in the Leipzig Region
Institutions such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU) or the Leipzig Plastics Centre are available as regional research partners and sources of the significant impetus for innovations in the automotive industry.
The Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK) researches electromobility, energy efficiency and production technology.
The Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL) has chairs for entrepreneurship, technology transfer and IT-supported logistics.
Last but not least, the Logistics Living Lab – the logistics laboratory of the University of Leipzig – provides an excellent environment for fostering innovation and creativity through cutting edge research and development work, especially around the concept of Smart Last-Mile Logistics (SMile).
As part of a strategic cluster policy, the Leipzig Region has created optimal conditions for the automotive industry in recent years. A regional network of producers, suppliers and research institutes provides valuable synergy and exciting opportunities for cooperation. Key players network through the ACOD Automotive Cluster East Germany, the AMZ Automotive Supplier Saxony, the Network Logistics Central Germany, and the Leipzig Foundry Network.
The Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK) and the University of Leipzig offer a wide range of technical courses that reliably supply the automotive industry with dedicated specialists. These include industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and business informatics.
In addition, the educational institutions in the neighbouring cities of Dresden, Chemnitz and Halle/Saale also offer industry-specific courses of study and training, providing a rich source of automotive talent for the Leipzig Region.
