ATLAS - Southwest Westphalia Automotive Transformation Platform

The automotive sector plays a prominent role in the business landscape of South Westphalia. With approximately 50,000 jobs in the automotive industry, South Westphalia ranks among the three most significant rural industrial regions in Germany. The implementation strategy is characterized by a participatory approach based on social partnership. Through in-depth regional dialogue and concrete support, companies are informed, trained, and connected as they navigate the transformation process. Specific measures are tailored to individual challenges through close consultation with various stakeholders within the companies. These range from the collaborative development of forward-looking product and service ideas, business model innovations, and intrapreneurship approaches, through the corresponding implementation and change processes, to the consistent support and involvement of the workforce—particularly through transformation workshops and the development of tailored training programs.

Our goal is to reach out to affected companies in the traditional automotive industry in South Westphalia. We show them how to leverage new digital business models to expand their product offerings and services. ATLAS focuses not only on companies that are already part of the automotive supply industry but also on those currently operating in related fields, such as the electrical industry. Companies that have traditionally focused on the automotive sector can also successfully expand into other, related industries.

Project Priorities 

• Establishment of a regional transformation network in South Westphalia
• Implementation of new digital business models in the automotive sector
• Supporting SMEs through transformation processes and far-reaching change initiatives—with a focus on strategy, technology, and corporate structure—using approaches based on social partnership, participatory engagement, and a holistic perspective

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
Under the consortium leadership of the nonprofit Gesellschaft für digitalisierte und nachhaltige Zusammenarbeit (DNZ) mbH, the project is being carried out in collaboration with partners from the University of Siegen, IG Metall, the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, agentur mark GmbH, Digital Hub Management GmbH, and the Society for Economic and Structural Development in the Märkischer Kreis (GWS).