// Loss of time, focus and trust – the current state of the industry
The discussions made one thing clear: the pressure for change in the industry is immense. According to the participants, 80% of today’s problems were foreseeable – yet in many cases there was a lack of courage, speed and strategic consistency to address them at an early stage. Germany has lost time and competitiveness through slow development cycles, regulatory complexity and a rigid corporate culture, while countries such as China have systematically built market advantages – strategically, cooperatively and in close proximity to the customer.

Particularly critical was the discussion around the decline in expected return on sales in the supplier industry: now only 3% – too little to finance innovation or operate with resilience in times of crisis. Combined with increasing skills shortages, demographic change and rising ESG requirements, the situation is becoming even more challenging for many mid-sized companies.

// Restructuring pressure: those who do not deliver will be left behind
The conclusion drawn from many contributions was unequivocal: only the highest-performing partners will be retained, while the rest will be sorted out. Companies that are unable today to demonstrate clear operational excellence or an economically viable business model risk losing not only customers, but also the confidence of investors.

Mid-sized suppliers in particular often find themselves in a state of helplessness – squeezed between OEM expectations, regulatory requirements and the internal strain of transformation. Indirect functions are often overlooked in restructurings, even though they could offer significant savings potential, for example through AI-supported optimisation.

// New ways of thinking are required
One key learning from the event was this: instead of only defining what needs to change, the industry must finally also clarify what should no longer be done in the future. This includes overly complex value creation depth, inefficient multi-site strategies or highly fragmented business models without scalability.

Site consolidation, platform strategies and segmentation were identified as key levers – even if they require initial investment. At the same time, trust in existing supply networks must be strengthened and secured through long-term partnerships, as seen in the Toyota model. The comparison with Volkswagen, where supply chains are often rebuilt from scratch with every new plant, was seen by participants more as a negative example.

// Cross-industry transfers and growing competition
The event also highlighted the increasing migration of skilled workers to other industries: aviation, rail and mechanical engineering are specifically recruiting talent from the automotive sector because they value its high process reliability and serial production expertise. At the same time, Chinese providers are not only expanding into automotive, but increasingly into the aviation market as well.

One comparison was particularly striking: within ten years, the printing industry shrank from 2 billion to 200 million euros in market volume. A scenario that cannot be ruled out for parts of the automotive supplier sector either if no strategic realignment takes place.

// Solutions: communication, scenarios, focus
The discussion ended with a clear appeal: companies must learn to focus. “How many topics can a company really change at the same time – six? eight?” was one of the central questions. Without clear priorities, transformation is not achievable.

Scenario development, transparency regarding internal weaknesses and consistent communication were named as key success factors. Transformation can only succeed if all levels of the company are involved – from the shop floor to the board.