The European Association of Automotive Suppliers, Clepa, has listed five themes that will play a key role in shaping the recovery. They are Vaccinations and relaunch of the economy, Electrification and recovery of automotive sales, Repaying the Covis debts, Implementation of European recovery fund, 2020 crisis aftermath with risks and upsides and Commission agenda and election cycles.
«Covid-19 – said Thorsten Muschal, member of the management of Faurecia and Clepa President – has hit the automotive supply industry particularly hard and the impact of the crisis will remain a major factor in the new year. Many in the supply industry, in the last months of 2020, have managed to recover a good portion of the earlier revenue losses, allowing for optimism as regards further recovery in 2021. However, uncertainty remains high given the volatility associated with the containment of the Covid-19 pandemic».
The words of the expert are clear: the glass is half-full, bit at the same time half-empty because optimism and realism about the damages in order to automotive supply industry are both alive.
Automotive sector could benefit from investments in power grid, charging infrastructure and 5G networks to enable transition to electrified and connected vehicles or industry 4.0, R&D projects into batteries and related components or autonomous technologies, projects supporting deployment of hydrogen in transport, and education projects to help reskilling employees and the future work force.
