Industrial supplier accelerates transformation toward digitalization, e-mobility, Industry 4.0

www.schaeffler.ca

Global automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler presented its strategic direction and long-term growth perspectives at this year’s Capital Markets Day in Bühl, Germany, on July 20.

Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, explained the cornerstones of Schaeffler’s strategy, “Mobility for tomorrow,” with its three key opportunities for the future – E-Mobility, Industry 4.0, and Digitalization – which are to develop into important growth drivers from 2020. He said that the Schaeffler Group intends to create an independent E-Mobility business division as of January 1, 2018 to bring together all the products and system solutions for hybrid and pure battery electric vehicles. The company has also been decided to set up a competence centre for E-Mobility in China, alongside the existing German units, to accommodate the increasing importance of the Chinese market in the field of E-Mobility. In the Industrial division, all mechatronics business plus the digitally driven service business opportunities are also to be combined in an independent organizational unit “Industry 4.0” from January 1, 2018 to tap additional growth potential.

Dr. Stefan Spindler, CEO Industrial, reported that the Industrial division, alongside the component business, systems and mechatronic products gain more and more importance. In addition, the company sees a steadily growing market for Industry 4.0 applications. “We want to consistently increase our content per application in the field of Industry 4.0 solutions, Dr. Spindler explained. “We are targeting to achieve around 10 per cent of our sales in 2022 from Industry 4.0-related products and solutions.”

Dr. Yilin Zhang, Regional CEO Greater China, elaborated on the strategic direction and the growth opportunities for the Schaeffler Group in China where it has 11,300 employees and eight plants. The average growth for the Schaeffler Group in China in recent years has been more than 20 per cent per annum, and the company is one of the leading technology partners for local and international automotive and industrial companies. The company’s prospects for growth in the next few years in the Greater China region remain very promising, particularly in the field of E-Mobility where China is rapidly becoming the world’s leading market. Three of the series contracts for electric axles and hybrid modules have been acquired in China. In the 2016 financial year, sales in the Greater China region were approximately 2.0 billion euros, which corresponds to around 15 per cent of total group sales. Dr. Yilin Zhang, CEO Greater China, added: “The Schaeffler Group in China is very well positioned. We are planning to double sales in the region in the next five years and to continue to increase our percentage of total group sales from its current level of around 15 per cent.”

For more information, visit www.schaeffler.ca.