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Thuringia's auto suppliers in crisis: thousands of jobs at risk!
Thuringia's automotive supply industry is facing major challenges: factory closures, job cuts and the shift to e-mobility require new strategies.
Thuringia's auto suppliers in crisis: thousands of jobs at risk!
In Thuringia there is a lot of trouble in the automotive supplier industry. Businesses are under immense pressure as factory closures and bankruptcies rise at almost shocking rates. At the same time, e-mobility, which many saw as a ray of hope, is making slow progress. A major rethink is imminent, but many companies are overwhelmed by the existing challenges.
The situation is dramatic. In the Free State, which is closely linked to the automotive industry, numerous suppliers are suffering the fate of closure or job cuts. The MDR reports warning signs: Marelli Automotive Lighting in Brotterode has lost 850 jobs, while Dagro Eissmann in Gera has filed for bankruptcy and hundreds of employees are at risk. The list of companies that are in trouble is long: Lear in Eisenach, Continental ContiTech in Bad Blankenburg and Vitesco in Mühlhausen have also experienced serious cuts.
New challenges through change
The profound change in the automotive industry also has Thuringia firmly in its grip. Planned closures like that of the Musashi factory in Leinefelde are just the tip of the iceberg. Loud Boltwise The company plans to close its doors next year despite a location guarantee until 2030. The head of the works council, Christoph Wiederholt, has expressed concerns that management has missed the changes in the industry.
Demand for electric cars has fallen sharply since the purchase bonuses expired in 2024. The proportion of automobile products manufactured in Thuringia is also declining sharply. In particular, the car manufacturer Nidec GPM in Merbelsrod is planning to cut every second job - a drastic measure that could have an impact on many families. Increasing outsourcing of components to Asia is making the situation even worse.
Focus on the future
The managing director of automotive thüringen e.V., Rico Chmelik, sees the need for stronger investment incentives and better framework conditions. He highlights the problem of dependency pressure from a few major customers, which makes the entire industry vulnerable to sudden changes. A glimmer of hope could be battery production, which will be strengthened by the construction of a new CATL test center in Arnstadt.
The defense industry is also brought into play as a potential customer, but this does not offer a complete solution. Thuringia must reinvent itself and become politically active in order to master the economic challenges. The willingness to invest has taken a dramatic turn since 2021: while once 75% of companies were planning new projects, today it is only 25%. The industry needs new courage in industrial policy and stronger linkages in the European supply chains in order to get back on its feet.
All eyes are now on developments in the coming months. The voices of workers fighting for their jobs and entrepreneurs trying to survive in a radically changing industry are becoming louder. Whether the structural change in Thuringia will succeed or whether the region will be left behind in the fate of the automotive industry can only be guessed at.