Based in the north of the country, the Luxembourg Automotive Campus will provide a unique opportunity for like-minded organizations to develop Luxembourg as a center of excellence in innovation, says Michel Witte, IEE’s President & CEO.

“The Automotive Campus is a positive step forward for the local automotive supplier sector,” he says. “And we are proud, along with Goodyear, to be a founding member. We welcome the opportunity to work with other representatives of the automotive community, and with leading universities and institutes to create an outstanding research center here in Luxembourg. This won’t just have a positive impact for our individual companies, but also for the local automotive supplier industry, and for Luxembourg’s economy.”

Mr. Witte says that key to IEE’s success has been its innovative entrepreneurial and pioneering spirit – a spirit reflected in the new Campus.

“When we started out in 1990, we were just a small start-up,” he says. “But it was this mind-set that made who we are today. That’s why it’s great that with its focus on R&D and on innovation, the Luxembourg Automotive Campus shares this ‘start-up and spin-off’ mentality. Being part of the Campus will help us take our business to the next level.”

When officially announcing the Luxembourg Automotive Campus at a launch event on Thursday 24th March 2016, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy, Étienne Schneider commented on the benefits of the Campus.

“By centralising these R&D activities, the Luxembourg Automotive Campus will provide professional automotive equipment and service providers with new tools and infrastructure, enabling them to remain dynamic – and thus also innovative and competitive – in a market in constant evolution. With the future capacity to accommodate 4,000 employees, the campus will be the future shop-front of the sector and will make of Luxembourg, more than ever, a destination of choice for automotive suppliers.”

Once the Luxembourg Automotive Campus is operational, IEE will be moving its headquarters, currently based in Contern, to the new location.

“Locating leading automotive organizations in the same area will naturally lead to synergies and benefits for everyone involved – both in terms of shared resources and enhanced innovation,” says Mr. Witte. “But more than that, it will also help us to attract high-caliber talent to the region – making Luxembourg an attractive proposition for potential candidates outside the banking sector.

“And with the potential presence of some of the University of Luxembourg’s institutes, in combination with public research organizations, we could facilitate the preparation of students and post-doctoral candidates so that their skills could fit the requirements of the Campus members. A win-win situation for everyone.”