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.