Conference Tracks

The conference is framed by two key note speakers and
Participants can choose from four conference tracks:

Stakeholder Participation and Social Dialogue

The fundamental shift of economic sectors within the ecological transformation as it is happening in the car industry affects a variety of people and communities very directly. Therefore it is utterly necessary to engage in stakeholder participation and social dialogue in order to make the planning of the transformation socially bearable and to gain acceptance and support in local communities. There exist different kinds of stakeholder participation that can be applied during the transition. Experiences from the transformation of the coal industry can serve as an example. This workshop series discusses various formats of stakeholder participation during the Just Transition of the car industry on different levels (EU, national, regional etc.), highlighting their potentials and pitfalls.

Ecological Transformation and Electrification

There will be a phase-out of combustion engines and an electrification of individual mobility over coming years. This transformation of industries requires interplay between several policies concerning the ecological transformation, transport, industrial planning and regional development. At the moment there does not seem to be a consistent plan regarding where the car industry should head in the future. This workshop series discusses possibilities to avoid policy gaps and inconsistencies during the transition, as well as pathways for a socially and ecologically sustainable transformation towards electromobility.

Reskilling

A central task of the Just Transition in the automotive industry will be to reskill workers so that they acquire skills that will be needed in the ecological economy of the future. There will be new jobs requiring a different skill set in the car industry, but other industries (e.g. concerning renewable energies) will also emerge in need of workers. To properly reskill, company transformation plans must go hand-in-hand with regional development plans so that no one is left behind. This workshop series discusses what is needed to undertake adequate reskilling. While doing this, it highlights the responsibilities at different levels (EU, National, regional, company) and draws on existing best-practice examples.

Just Transition in the Central and Eastern European Car Industry

Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries play a special role within the European car industry. While their position as a central player largely emerged during recent decades, countries such as Slovakia and Czech Republic are highly dependent on their car industries. Nonetheless their overall position is more fragile than that of countries like Germany. This workshop series discusses the special needs and support structures CEE countries need to manage the transition in a just and beneficial way. Two challenges addressed here are that, firstly, many suppliers for internal combustion engines are located there and are in danger of having their business model undermined, and secondly, that participation structures are often lacking, as trade unions are not as prominent as in central European countries.