BUSINESS

Together for Automotive with the

Moravian-Silesian Automotive Cluster

The Moravian-Silesian region has always been a region where the automotive industry plays a very

important role.

The Automotive Cluster was established in

2006 due to a demand for collaboration

between companies in the developing

automotive industry in the region. Currently,

it operates not only in the Moravian-Silesian

Region and the Czech Republic, but it also

develops territorial cooperation, mainly

with Poland and Slovakia. Among its

members you can find not only supplier

companies for the automotive industry-with production, technology and process

orientation--but also research institutes

and technical universities, from the Czech

Republic and beyond.

The sales of the Moravian-Silesian

automotive industry have risen to above

300 billion CZK per year and it directly

employs more than 32,000 workers. More

than 1,900 of them work in research

and development. Not only are the

international centres of product research

located here, but the departments working

on sophisticated production and logistics

processes can also be found.

Such a background provides a unique

platform for the activities of the almost

ninety members of the Automotive

Cluster--an organization which is based

on cooperation, innovation, commitment,

trust, mutual benefits and the knowledge

and abilities of people.

Its goal is to strengthen the position of

automotive in the region as a whole, to

help the transformation of the automotive

industry, and also to integrate the efforts

of companies, education and research

institutions, and other players in the

innovation process and to contribute to

the cooperation between schools and

companies.

The Automotive Cluster stands mainly

on three activity pillars--the development

of human potential, support of business

collaboration and the support of research

and development. The Automotive Cluster

initiates projects in these fields and later on

prepares, finances, and takes care of their

complex management throughout project

realization.

52 ǀ POSITIV 4/2020

Main activities and projects

Today, the automotive industry is not

only on the top of the modern industry,

but also on the threshold of substantial

changes. These are connected with the

trends of pure mobility, connectivity and

autonomous vehicle control as well as

digitalization connected with automation.

All of these fields bring many possibilities

of development. But the main factor for

success is speed and time.

The Automotive Cluster tries to transform

these trends into reality via both national

and European projects. Throughout the

existence of the Cluster, the total scope of

project activities has risen to over 140 million

CZK. These resources were used mainly for

the education of the employees via national

projects that are focused on management

and leadership skills, technical fields and

also language skills. The international

projects have focused mainly on expanding

knowledge in the field of Industry 4.0,

modern technologies and knowledge on

electric vehicles.

A very important aspect consists of projects

focused in support of business opportunities.

As an example we might take the European

project IMPACT, which was focused on the

search for and development of companies

in the field of vehicle connectivity.

But the main concentration of the

Automotive Cluster’s effort is directed at

the field of “Research and Development.”

In the past few years, specific R&D projects

have been directed to the fields of plastics

processing, the use of light metal or modern

technologies. But the latest project, which

focused on robotics or, more precisely,

collaborative

robotics,

substantially

increased awareness about the new

direction of automation development. The

pilot verifications proved new possibilities

but also application limitations from both

a technical and a legal standpoint (industrial

safety standards are falling behind technical

development).

The trend we need to follow in all

companies is digitization and automation.

For verification and development in this

field, the Automotive Cluster, in

collaboration with MSIC, has established

the Centre of Collaborative Robotics.

Therefore, all members can practically, in

real conditions, verify the new direction of

robotics.

The Cluster set up a task in its strategy:

To focus on cross-sectoral collaboration

with universities; to develop so-called

knowledge centres, mainly in the field of

digitalization, automation and circular

economy; and to support the Automotive

Cluster members in developing business

competences,

project

management,

process management and language skills.

This strategy is implemented mainly from

the approved R&D projects focused on

robotics, visual component verification

with the use of neural networks or usage

of maraging plastics and composites.

Collaboration with top level European

clusters is also a very important task.

These partnerships are fulfilled by

participation in the international projects

Lean 4.0 and AMULET. These are focused

on connecting the Lean approach with

elements of Industry 4.0; or, as the case

may be, on the development of light

materials, construction and technology

usage that leads to a reduction of the

car component’s weight and therefore to

a reduction of emissions from car use.

Thanks to this wide range of activities,

every member can find their own “cup of

tea.” For some, it is business collaboration

arising from contacts and information.

For others, Cluster membership helps

to expand their product base. Many of

them use the output of the collective R&D

projects to move forward in the field of

technology. Many companies also use the

opportunities for the development of their

employees.

Thus, the basic mission of the Automotive

Cluster--to create the conditions for the

development of the competitiveness of its

members and sustainable development of

the region--is fulfilled.