HALDENSLEBEN (dpa-AFX) - Possible cost-cutting plans at Volkswagen could also have an impact on suppliers in Saxony-Anhalt. "Basically, this is a difficult situation," says Stefan Schünemann, Chairman of the Board of the Mahreg Automotive competence network. Like other industrial sectors, the industry is in the middle of a transformation. In addition, there are no concrete plans at VW yet, so there is still a certain amount of time for suppliers to react.

According to the competence network, up to 27,000 people are employed in the automotive supply industry in Saxony-Anhalt. Only a small proportion of these, around 4,000, could be directly assigned to traditional supplier companies. The majority are companies in the metal or plastics industry or engineering service providers that only partially work for the automotive industry. They also had other clients and were therefore able to compensate for fluctuations in the order situation, says Schünemann. But there is no denying it: "VW's announcements come on top of an already relatively tense situation in the industry." Saxony-Anhalt is a supplier region with many smaller companies. These are often more flexible. "You have to turn that to your advantage."

Ifa from Haldensleben has been working with VW since reunification

One company from Saxony-Anhalt that has been working for Volkswagen for a long time is Ifa, based in Haldensleben. Among other things, the company produces drive shafts and joints. "After reunification, Volkswagen was one of our first customers," says Ifa Managing Director Jan-Christoph Maser. There is a close relationship between the two companies. "We have already gone through several crises together and we will also go through this challenge together."

Fluctuations could be balanced out

He was not surprised by the news that VW wanted to intensify its austerity measures. The entire automotive industry is in the middle of a transformation. "Basically, however, it is still too early to make a definitive assessment at the moment," says Maser. Plant closures always have an impact on a region, from the supplier to the bakery on the corner. "But I don't see any major fears for us at the moment." The company is broadly positioned and has a certain customer portfolio to be able to compensate for fluctuations in the order situation in case of doubt.

Europe's largest car manufacturer, Volkswagen, announced on Monday that it would tighten its austerity measures at the core VW brand in view of the worsening situation. Plant closures in Germany and compulsory redundancies are no longer ruled out./sus/DP/stk