The European transport manufacturing industry is currently well positioned with competitive products of high quality on the worldwide market. However, global economic shifts, societal trends and environmental challenges may put its leadership role into question. Disruptive technologies like electrification, automation and digital networking offer possibilities for innovative business models and sophisticated transport solutions that will determine unique selling propositions of the future. Hence, industrial players from non traditional domains with large financial resources and innovative skills like the IT sector may reshape the existing value chains of transport manufacturing at a high pace. As many of them are located elsewhere in the world, predominantly in North America but increasingly also in the emerging economies of China, East Asia and India, the competitive position of the established European industries may be challenged tremendously within the next decades.
For companies and policy makers to anticipate the challenges, to identify conceivable enablers and hurdles for counteraction, and to conclude on effective push or pull measures, the current state and the future development paths of the European transport manufacturing industries have to be thoroughly investigated. Such study has to cover not just all transport modes, but in particular also transversal aspects as the dynamics of the value chains, the changing user behaviour and the global economic trends that affect competitiveness.
The CSA “Scoreboard of Competitiveness of European Transport Manufacturing Industries” (SCORE) targets to:
• Provide a coherent picture of the current status and global competitive situation of the
European transport manufacturing industries in the four segments automotive, aeronautics,
ship-building and rail rolling-stock.
• Consider the three most relevant transversal indicators of competitiveness for the
targeted industries which are dynamics of industrial value chains, changing demand side
requirements and economic analysis and forecast of competitiveness.
• Assess the strength and weaknesses in relation to not only traditional but also nontraditional
competitors which enter the established value chains with very agile
organization forms, large financial resources and rapid globalization strategies.
• Analyse the potentials and challenges of disruptive technologies, innovative products,
new business models and emerging markets for European manufacturers; including e.g.
aspects like complementary product services enabled by networking and big data analysis and
economies-of-scale concepts.
• Forecast the future development of the competitive position in view of companystrategic
opportunities, changing user demand and societal requirements as well as
related economic implications.
• Help stakeholders to assess the current position and identify areas requiring priority
investments and actions by visualizing the current and future competitive position of the
European transport manufacturing industries in comparison to their worldwide rivals in an
easily accessible way, e.g. by means of a scoreboard.
• Create harmonized cross-sectorial recommendations for industry and advice on policies
and regulatory frameworks for securing and furthering the competitive position of the
considered industries. Engage a broad stakeholder community, particularly from
individual companies, as members of the Industrial Advisory Board and Associated
Partners into the consultation processes of the project and in implementing its results.
• Sustain the work of the project beyond its duration, e.g. by publishing the results in a
volume of the Springer book series “Lecture Notes in Mobility” and converting the methodology
and the scoreboard into a self-sustaining service offer.
