Digitalization push: Mercedes−Benz and Siemens launch strategic partnership for sustainable automotive production

• Mercedes-Benz and Siemens to expand the digitalization of sustainable production methods, expanding a long-standing successful cooperation in the field of engineering and production
• Partnership to develop innovative solutions for the qualification of employees, digitalization and for increasing energy efficiency in production

Berlin.  Mercedes-Benz and Siemens plan to cooperate on advancing digitalization and automation in the automotive industry, supported by the State of Berlin. Mercedes-Benz AG aims to digitize its production processes. Siemens, a leading supplier in the field of automation, industrial software and smart infrastructure, will bring its expertise and technologies to the partnership to develop highly flexible, efficient and sustainable automotive production together with Mercedes-Benz.

Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG, Production and Supply Chain Management:

“Mercedes-Benz takes digitalization to the next level in the global Mercedes-Benz Cars production network. Together with Siemens, we are driving forward the development of sustainable future technologies – from Berlin for the whole world.”

In this context, the Mercedes-Benz Berlin-Marienfelde site in Germany will be transformed into a competence centre for digitalization with a focus on the development and implementation of the digital Mercedes-Benz Cars ecosystem MO360 (http://mb4.me/UWbRz2GR), in addition to the redesign of production activities. In the future, e-mobility components will also be assembled in Berlin. The company wants to secure the future for the Berlin plant, which is the oldest site in the Mercedes-Benz global powertrain production network. The Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus in Berlin is the technological and digital nucleus for the whole Mercedes-Benz Cars production network. Its objective is to roll out the new developments that have been tested in Berlin at the Mercedes-Benz plants worldwide and to provide the users with the required qualifications.

With the Werner-von-Siemens Centre for Industry and Science in the Siemensstadt in Berlin, there is already an excellent wealth of experience that can be incorporated into the cooperation. With the synergies of the Siemensstadt² and the Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus Berlin, plants that represent the origin of industrialization in Germany, will be transformed into two modern digital sites.

Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO Digital Industries:

“We are further expanding our decades-long successful cooperation with Mercedes-Benz in the field of engineering and production. Together, we want to take the next big step towards sustainable and even more competitive automotive production. To achieve this, both partners rely on end-to-end digital technologies to connect technology, sustainability and new working environments more closely than ever before.”

Siemens leading automation and software solutions lay the foundation for the digital transformation of automotive production. The physical and virtual worlds as well as operational technology and IT can be combined with them. This opens up new possibilities for gathering, understanding and using the huge amounts of data generated in engineering and production. With innovative IoT applications, for example, production processes can be made much more flexible and energy efficient.

Michael Müller, Governing Mayor of Berlin:

“Today’s agreement is a clear commitment by Mercedes-Benz and Siemens to Berlin as a location for innovation and production. Both companies have long established and close ties to Berlin. With their strategic partnership, they are strengthening Berlin’s leading scientific and research location and can secure jobs and training places. We are very pleased that Siemens and Mercedes-Benz want to jointly advance the digitalization of production processes from here – and we are very happy to support networking and cooperation with potential partners from science, research and business who are working here in the capital on future-oriented digital solutions for industrial applications and production.”

The State Government of Berlin welcomes and supports both the clear commitment to the production and innovation location, the transformation and the cooperation between the two companies. The State of Berlin will support the partnership, which is part of the excellent science and start-up landscape in Berlin. Against this background, the Governing Mayor of Berlin will sponsor the cooperation.