On March 9th this year in Warsaw, a meeting of representatives of the Austrian automotive cluster, i.e. ACstyria, and the Polish Automotive Group was held. The main point of the program was a substantive discussion between entrepreneurs on cooperation in the field of electromobility. The meeting took place in the building of the Senate of the Republic of Poland at the invitation of the Vice-Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland – Senator Maria Koc. Participants were also welcomed by the management of the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Enterprise and Technology.
The meeting, attended by over 40 people from the management of the most important companies belonging to both organizations, was the result of an initiative taken by the Polish automotive industry focused in the Polish Automotive Group (PGM). The partnership of industry organizations such as ACstyria and Polish Automotive Group may become a driving force for the development of cooperation, both between individual economic entities as well as the economies of Austria and Poland. Andrzej J. Piotrowski, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Energy, stressed that the scope of possible cooperation might be very wide, refer both to R&D works related to the development and introduction of new automotive products to global markets, as well as the production of these elements. Coordination of joint activities taking into account the parties’ competences in the area of: conducting R&D works, available technologies and production capacities may bring beneficial, measurable effects. They may refer to lowering costs and optimizing the value chain of the goods produced so far, as well as extending the offer with new, competitive products resulting from joint action.
ACstyria is an organization that brings together approx. 300 companies cooperating with MAGNA Steyr and AVL, but also companies operating for the aviation and railway industries. Austrians perceive Poland as an ideal country for establishing partnerships with automotive companies, in particular in the context of the electromobility that is developing in our country.
However, the Polish Automotive Group (PGM) is the first organization in Poland that associates only domestic producers from the automotive industry. The association facilitates Polish companies to get to know each other and business cooperation, initiates ambitious projects, and looks for valuable partners for them in Poland and abroad. The group includes Sanok Rubber Company (former Stomil Sanok), PZL Sędziszów and PIMOT. It works very dynamically, as evidenced by, for example, its initiative to build an electric vehicle, but also a Friday meeting.
Therefore, according to Jadwiga Emilewicz, the Minister of Entrepreneurship and Technology, cooperation in business is crucial. This is the foundation of development. Hence, so many activities related to promoting cooperation not only of administration with entrepreneurs, but also entrepreneurs among themselves. Both in the formula of organizing in clusters or trade organizations like ACstyria or the Polish Automotive Group, but also when groups of entrepreneurs cooperate with each other. If such cooperation is international, it has even greater chances of global success.
During the meeting in the Senate, a lot of attention was devoted to the electromobility program.
– Such a large Austrian team has proved that companies from all over Europe are interested in the Polish project in the field of electromobility. For us, Poles it is a challenge, inter alia, because there is really a lot to do. However, it may be worth being open to external knowledge, in this case Austrians who already have know-how. They are willing to provide knowledge, and most importantly, technology, which may be crucial for us, Poles. We will not meet the technical and technological needs in projects related to the development of electric vehicles and infrastructure. In addition: by establishing international cooperation, we may become global suppliers and, as a result, introduce Polish brands to the markets of Europe and the world – summarizes Adam Sikorski, Chairman of the Polish Automotive Group.
The meeting allowed companies from both countries to get to know each other better and build a foundation for strengthening future cooperation (in the field of inter alia electromobility). In the near future, mutual visits to production plants are planned, and their purpose will involve joint projects and business cooperation. The day ended with a meeting hosted by the Austrian Ambassador in Warsaw and a less formal atmosphere was conducive to getting to know each other between the companies’ representatives.
