Situation analysis
of the mobility sector
in the Braunschweig-
Wolfsburg region

As a result of demographic change, changes in the world of work, digitalisation, climate change and evolving customer needs, the automotive and supplier industries face numerous challenges. The effects associated with these challenges, in turn, have a major impact on the regions concerned. The example of the Braunschweig-Wolfsburg mobility region clearly demonstrates this: The local mobility industry provides one in three jobs in the region.

For Allianz for the Region GmbH, Prognos took a closer look at the region. The study is part of the joint project Regional Transformation Network of Southeast Lower Saxony (ReTraSON), which Alliance for the Region coordinates for the region’s numerous network members. The study was commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

The Braunschweig-Wolfsburg region: One of the most important economic locations in Germany

With the help of a situation and opportunity-risk analysis of the region, Prognos’ authors gained the following insights:

• The mobility industry provides one in three jobs in the region: Value-added networks are strongly focused on the automotive industry.
• The Braunschweig-Wolfsburg region plays a leading role in the development of mobility concepts and technologies for Germany’s future. In addition to Volkswagen, there are 182,000 employees working in the mobility industry including suppliers, engineering offices and research institutions.
• Increasing digital connectivity is blurring the boundaries between previously closed systems. A more intensive level of cooperation is required and as well as greater cooperation among regional actors from business, science and administration.
• Competitiveness through research and development (R&D): R&D workers are currently concentrated in large enterprises. In the future, the region’s SMEs will need to be more involved in the transfer of innovative impulses from the application-oriented scientific landscape.
• The skilled-worker shortage is palpable in the Braunschweig-Wolfsburg region. Population growth alone will not be enough to solve the problem. Retraining and further training, as well as increasing the region’s attractiveness and visibility will also be necessary.

Accordingly, the situation and opportunity-risk analysis identified the following four fields of action for the South East Lower Saxony Regional Transformation Network (ReTraSON):

• Technological transformation
• The future of work
• Infrastructure transformation
• Transforming business models

Our approach

In a socio-economic indicator analysis, we evaluated current data and specific indicators across four categories: Demography, Economy and Innovation, Labour Market, Infrastructure and Digitalisation. In addition, conducting a regional economic analysis enabled a regional economic classification of the effects of the mobility industry by means of input-output modelling and an evaluation of intermediate-level interdependencies.

Based on major mega trends, we assessed the implications of central transformation processes with regard to the “Transformation of the Mobility Industry” topic and the Braunschweig-Wolfsburg mobility region as part of an opportunity-risk analysis. An AI-supported big data analysis of corporate data was performed to identify business transformation drivers.

Broad stakeholder engagement was carried out as part of the situation analysis.

• Online survey
• Approx. 20 technical discussions
• Transformation workshops/transformation labs
• R&D network analysis

Links and downloads

Situation analysis, in German (retrason.de)

Project team: Dr Olaf Arndt, Julia Schwienbacher, Til Ulbrich, Renke Janshen, Dr Jonathan Eberle, Fabian Malik, Markus Mahle

Latest update: 29.06.2023