Business and industry

• The contribution of industry in general and the automotive industry in particular to employment and prosperity in Germany is crucial. Our sector offers good jobs. This applies to large industrial companies as well as to the world’s only Mittelstand SME sector, which makes a decisive contribution to the prosperity of the regions.
• Germany's automotive industry -manufacturers and suppliers -stands for good wages, high social standards, stability, and security. This should remain the case in the future, despite tougher competition. The international orientation of companies in the automotive industry secures jobs in Germany.
• We can only master the greatest challenges with the best ideas, innovations, and visions. The key point here is that research and innovation need freedom instead of fetters. Germany must be and remain the world champion of innovation, and the elite must want to research here because we offer them the best working and research conditions.

The social market economy has brought us to the top – this free-market model also offers the best tools for protecting the climate in industry and mobility.

• Growth, prosperity, and employment worldwide are increasingly based on digital technologies. We want to continue developing digital technologies "made in Germany" in the future so that jobs and growth are created here.
• We are world champions in the development of new technologies. Now we also want to be world champions in getting these innovations "on the road." These must be enabled, not hindered, by new legal conditions.
• We are investing in the development of autonomous mobility, robotics, intelligent automation, smart sensors, edge AI computing, and much more beside. For this, we need excellent research institutions and a high level of education for our school leavers.

More safety, comfort, and climate protection due to digital technologies

• Growth ensures prosperity. Competition is good because it forces companies to become even better and more sustainable. Climate protection targets must be achieved without jeopardizing growth, especially if they are to set an international example. Pre-commitment to individual technologies weakens the competitiveness and innovative strength of companies.
• We research and develop innovative technologies with the aim of creating ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable mobility options. Political market interventions that serve to promote only individual technologies in particular or to force other technologies out of the market narrow the range of technological development options, are inefficient in the medium and long term, and cost consumer confidence.

An industrial policy that strengthens the competitiveness and innovative capabilities of the automotive industry and increases the attractiveness of locations in Germany and Europe. This includes:

• Maintaining infrastructures up to date, promoting research and innovation on a broad basis, facilitating cooperation between science and business at all levels, and creating a positive environment for innovation and investment.
• Targeted investments in key technologies for which Europe must become a strategic leader, such as battery cells, hydrogen, e-fuels, and semiconductors, as well as software and AI.
• A sustainable and globally competitive tax system and incentive-based conditions that strengthen our companies against global competition and enable growth. We reject a wealth tax or other forms of taxation on assets.
• Competitive energy prices so that energy-intensive manufacturing need not move to countries that do less to protect the climate.
• A thorough reduction of bureaucracy that attracts investment in Germany and relieves companies of costs.
• Intelligent research funding that rewards applied research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.