VDA President at start of 9th VDA Logistics Congress in Leipzig
Wissmann: Policy-makers also have to promote efficient logistics
Berlin/Leipzig, 25 February 2010. "An expanding economy needs efficient logistics. Freight traffic and individual mobility need a highly efficient transport infrastructure. Policy-makers also have to act when it comes to optimizing Germany as a logistics location – they have to create the right general conditions,” stressed Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), at the VDA’s 9th Logistics Congress in Leipzig. He pointed out that a forecast by the German Federal Ministry of Transport predicts that after the crisis year of 2009, this year road freight traffic will grow by 4.5 percent. He added that worldwide passenger car production is expected to rise by at least 4 per cent to 52 million vehicles.
Wissmann went on to say that the investments in a high-capacity transport infrastructure should be consolidated in the coming years to enable logistics to completely fulfill its service function for industries including the German automotive industry. Innovative commercial vehicle concepts would provide relief for the straining trunk road network, he said. In this way improved aerodynamics for trucks could realize considerable potentials for savings in fuel consumption and thus also in CO2 emissions – despite further increases in transport requirements. The VDA president underscored, "We therefore welcome the plans of the German Government for a national field trial with innovative commercial vehicle concepts.” Optimized logistics, he said, also helped to relieve the burdens on the environment and to promote climate protection. Furthermore, Wissmann once again called for a "moratorium on burdens” for the haulage industry that has been under huge pressure due to the crisis.
It was a conscious decision to hold the VDA’s 9th Logistics Congress in Leipzig, Wissmann said. "This region is becoming ever more important for the German automotive industry. The state of Saxony is a traditional location for the German automotive industry – and Leipzig is the latest German production location and therefore the most modern one.” Within ten short years, the number of people employed in the automotive industry in Saxony had doubled to reach 70,000, Wissmann said, while sales had grown in the same proportion, to 12 billion euro.
Wissmann cited the decision by BMW to begin the series production of an electric car as an example of Leipzig’s strength as a location: "This is an important step putting the automotive location Leipzig right at the forefront of tomorrow’s individual mobility.” The region had highly qualified specialists and a high density of suppliers, he said, adding that the competence of the numerous small and medium-sized supply firms was hugely important for encouraging electric mobility in Germany.
The Saxon State Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport, Sven Morlok (of Germany’s liberal Free Democratic Party), praised the strength of German companies and at the same time said, "The players in the logistics business are making their way in a tough market environment and in spite of severe cost pressure. For example, energy is getting more and more significant as a cost factor for logistics firms and OEMs alike. Cutting down on journeys, exploiting synergies and sparing resources – mean that ecological action makes economic sense. In this way German companies can score points right now. In the automotive state of Saxony this is proved by the cooperation between logistics service providers and automotive manufacturers, Daimler’s participation in the company Li-Tec, and the plans to produce the E-BMW in Leipzig.”
On the subject of the congress, the minister said, "Producers, suppliers and logistics firms must now work on new ideas and take forward-looking corporate decisions in order to emerge as strong as possible from the crisis. The Logistics Congress helps to draw attention to success strategies in times of upheaval.”
The VDA’s Logistics Congress has been an annual event since 2002 and is Europe’s leading forum for logistics. The 9th VDA Logistics Congress is being held in the Leipzig Congress Center on 25 and 26 February 2010 with the headline "Right of Way for Logistics – Intelligent Control of the Automotive Supply Chains in Volatile Markets.” More than 200 logistics experts are meeting to exchange experiences and attend specialist events surrounding the topics of IT and logistics, packaging, the aftermarket and employee development. The congress is organized by the VDA in cooperation with Porsche AG, the automotive service partner ITA and the German inspection organization Dekra.
The program of the VDA’s Logistics Congress is
available on the Internet:
http://www.vda.de/de/veranstaltungen/kongresse/logistik/index.html
