Apr. 21 2021

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

Mercedes-Benz and Siemens plan to cooperate on advancing digitalization and automation in the automotive industry, supported by the State of Berlin. MercedesBenz 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 MercedesBenz 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 (OT) 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 futureoriented 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.

This press release and a press picture is available at https://sie.ag/3doPxdp

For further information on please see fact sheet https://sie.ag/3rqD3a0

Siemens AG

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. With its publicly listed subsidiary Siemens Healthineers AG, the company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT.In fiscal 2019, which ended on September 30, 2019, Siemens generated revenue of €86.8 billion and net income of €5.6 billion. At the end of September 2019, the company had around 385,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

Siemens Digital Industries (DI)

Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 76,000 employees internationally.

Mercedes-Benz AG at a glance

Mercedes-Benz AG is responsible for the global business of Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans, with over 170,000 employees worldwide. Ola Källenius is Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG. The company focuses on the development, production and sales of passenger cars, vans and vehicle-related services. Furthermore, the company aspires to be the leader in the fields of electric mobility and vehicle software. The product portfolio comprises the Mercedes-Benz brand with the sub-brands of Mercedes-AMG, MercedesMaybach, Mercedes-EQ, G-Class and the smart brand. The Mercedes me brand offers access to the digital services from Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz AG is one of the world's largest manufacturers of luxury passenger cars. In 2020 it sold around 2.1 million passenger cars and nearly 375,000 vans. In its two business segments, Mercedes-Benz AG is continually expanding its worldwide production network with around 35 production sites on four continents, while gearing itself to meet the requirements of electric mobility. At the same time, the company is constructing and extending its global battery production network on three continents. As sustainability is the guiding principle of the Mercedes-Benz strategy and for the company itself, this means creating lasting value for all stakeholders: for customers, employees, investors, business partners and society as a whole. The basis for this is Daimler's sustainable business strategy. The company thus takes responsibility for the economic, ecological and social effects of its business activities and looks at the entire value chain.

About the Mercedes-Benz plant in Berlin

The Mercedes-Benz plant in Berlin is an important part of the global Mercedes-Benz powertrain production network and one of the major industrial employers in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. The plant is a high-tech location for component production with technologies for the reduction of CO2 emissions. These technologies also include the innovative CAMTRONIC engine timing. The location is a competence center for this variable valve adjustment system in the worldwide powertrain production network. The Berlin product portfolio also includes the manufacture of transmission parts and components, fuel systems, camshafts and the production of diesel engines. The Mercedes-Benz plant in Berlin, founded in 1902, is the Group's oldest manufacturing plant.

For further information please contact:

Siemens AG
Florian Martens
florian.martens@siemens.com
Siemens AG
David Petry
david.petry@siemens.com
Mercedes-Benz AG
Sofia Stauber
sofia.stauber@daimler.com
Mercedes-Benz AG
Birgit Zaiser
birgit.zaiser@daimler.com
Mercedes-Benz AG
Tobias Brandstetter
tobias.brandstetter@daimler.com