Group photo with organizers and speakers at the Regensburg Automotive Industry Strategy Dialogue; front row, from left: Philipp Berr, Joachim Scherrer, André Koos, Florian Heitzer, Uwe Pfeil, Prof. Dr. Georg Stephan Barfuß, Alexander Rupprecht, Florian Klimmer, Michael Hellwig, back row, from left: Natalie Schwab, Maria Hirschberger, Melanie Terne, Hermann Hampel, Dr. Georg Schwab, André Kühnle, Thomas Decker, Matthias Streller (Photo: Vincent Wodowski, TechBase Regensburg GmbH)
Hermann Hampel, sdp GmbH
Thomas Decker, Webasto Roof & Components SE & Florian Klimmer, Sonplas GmbH
Philipp Berr, Amt für Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft, Stadt Regensburg & Florian Heitzer, das Stadtwerk Regensburg.Mobilität GmbH
Joachim Scherrer, BERR eG
On December 8, 2025, the transform.r transformation network of the Cluster Mobility & Logistics invited guests to the annual conference of the Regensburg Automotive Industry Strategy Dialogue. The event at TechBase Regensburg served as a platform for cross-industry exchange and presented concrete projects for shaping the profound change in the automotive industry.
The focus was on the question of how companies and public actors in the Regensburg region need to position themselves strategically in order to meet the challenges of transformation – whether in the areas of digitalization, electrification, or sustainable mobility.
Uwe Pfeil, cluster manager at TechBase Regensburg GmbH, welcomed the participants and led the panel discussion with four key players from industry, the city, and economic development: André Koos (Koosys GmbH), Dr. Georg Schwab (AVL Software and Functions GmbH), Prof. Dr. Georg Stephan Barfuß (City of Regensburg), and André Kühnle (Schaeffler AG).
The discussion impressively demonstrated that the transformation goes far beyond technical aspects – it is about new ways of thinking, cooperation, and location development. Prof. Dr. Barfuß emphasized the need to change the mindset in the industry and summed it up as follows: “From gap measurement to software.” Dr. Schwab from AVL added to this perspective with a view to urban development and mobility concepts: “From software-defined vehicle to software-defined city” – an impulse that takes the transformation of the automotive industry in the context of urban infrastructure a step further.
The second part of the event focused on specific regional flagship projects. Hermann Hampel (sdp GmbH) presented the “Smart Dynamic Public Lighting” project, which develops intelligent lighting control for urban spaces. This was followed by a presentation of a joint battery module line by Thomas Decker (Webasto SE) and Florian Klimmer (Sonplas GmbH), which served as an example of successful industrial cooperation in the field of electromobility.
Another forward-looking project was presented in the form of the Mobility Data Hub – presented by Philipp Berr (Office for Economy and Science of the City of Regensburg) and Florian Heitzer (Stadtwerk Regensburg.Mobilität GmbH), which aims to bundle mobility data and make it available in a networked form.
Finally, Joachim Scherrer (BERR eG) presented the “Energieareal Regensburg Ost – ERO” project, which makes green electricity from citizens available to regional industry. His appeal to the region was clear: “We have the best conditions in the region – let's put them to use.”
The annual conference made it clear that change in the automotive industry is in full swing – and that the Regensburg region has strong partnerships, creative solutions, and a common goal of actively shaping this change.
NOTE
The event is part of the German government's transformation networks (funding body: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, BMWE). The Regensburg-based project transform.r supports companies in coping with structural change in the automotive industry.