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Date: October 28, 2024
New Delhi- The ACMA Mobility Foundation (AMF), part of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Germany's Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to enhance research and development in India’s auto component sector. This partnership, announced during the 18th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024) in New Delhi, aims to drive innovation and sustainability in the industry, addressing challenges such as carbon neutrality, circularity, and safety. By leveraging their combined expertise, AMF and Fraunhofer will work to boost technology advancements and product innovation, enhancing the competitiveness of the Indian automotive ecosystem.
The key areas of cooperation between AMF and Fraunhofer include R&D collaboration, where Fraunhofer Institutes will assist in applied research focused on new product development and process innovations for the Indian auto components sector. Additionally, Fraunhofer's technical experts will work with Indian automotive companies to enhance process technologies and implement sustainable production methods. Joint projects will also prioritize sustainability and road safety, emphasizing circular economy principles and pre-competitive technologies that can be adopted across the automotive industry.
Mr. Vikrampati Singhania, Director, AMF & MD, JK Fenner (India), said, “This is a significant milestone for the Indian auto component industry. Collaborating with Fraunhofer, a world leader in applied research, will strengthen our efforts to drive innovation, enhance product quality, and accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility solutions. This partnership underscores our commitment to shaping a future-ready automotive industry in India.”
Mr. Vinnie Mehta, Director & Secretary, AMF, said, “This partnership will enable Indian companies to tap into Fraunhofer’s vast expertise and experience in applied research, helping them meet global standards while fostering innovation at a competitive cost.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, with its 76 research institutes and a significant global presence, brings over 3.4 billion euros in annual research funding. The Fraunhofer Traffic and Transportation Alliance, with its cluster of 18 institutes, will be at the forefront of this collaboration, providing specialized research and development services to the automotive ecosystem in India.
Dr Johann Feckl, Director and Section Head Precompetitive Research and International Relations, Fraunhofer HQ, said, “India and Germany are strong and natural partners in Mobility. Fraunhofer possesses excellent strengths in applied research around the entire value chain of Mobility from materials to manufacturing and even mobility concepts and India’s strengths are in manufacturing and qualified manpower. We are delighted that on the occasion of the Intergovernmental consultations, we are concluding this very important partnership with ACMA. We look forward to strengthening our long-standing partnership”.
Ms. Anandi Iyer Director Fraunhofer Office India, said, “Fraunhofer works closely with the industry to crunch the innovation cycle and bring new processes and products faster to the market. We are already working very strongly with the Indian automotive industry since the last 16 years with ACMA as a valued partner. It will be exciting to bring the German and Indian industry to work on India- specific challenges, create proof of concepts and then scale it at a much faster pace, thus combining German engineering and Indian ingenuity for a win-win alliance.
This partnership is set to enhance technology and trade relations between India and Germany, while creating a sustainable talent pool of skilled researchers and technical experts well-versed in global best practices.
The MOU will be effective for an initial period of three years, with potential extensions based on mutual agreement.
