DÜSSELDORF (dpa-AFX) - The crisis in the automotive industry is also putting pressure on its suppliers. According to a survey, two-thirds of companies expect a market shakeout in the next two years - meaning that suppliers will disappear from the market. This is the result of a survey conducted by the consulting and auditing firm Baker Tilly among executives at German automotive suppliers.

Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed said they expect to have fewer competitors in two years than they do today. Only 20 percent expect new suppliers – primarily from China – to enter the market. However, competition from Asia is already considered a major challenge. A good half of those surveyed (51 percent) believe that companies there already have an "unassailable lead in key technologies."

Own situation better than that of the industry

The assessment of the industry situation is also clearly negative: 79 percent consider it "rather poor" or even "very poor." The respondents were significantly more positive about their own companies: 78 percent described their situation as "rather" or even "very good." "There is a drastic gap between perception and reality," says Baker Tilly expert Jannik Bayat. "The industry seems to recognize the risks, but is not taking decisive enough action to address them within its own companies."

Fifty-six percent of those surveyed cited high investment and cost pressures as a major challenge. Sixty percent also complained that geopolitical changes and potential trade conflicts meant that reliable planning was no longer possible. At the same time, 55 percent noted that the window of opportunity for the industry's transformation is closing even faster than previously assumed.

Fit for the future even without combustion engines

However, the majority do not see this as a threat to their own companies. 75 percent consider their own business model to be largely independent of the change in drive technology. The reason: the parts they manufacture are used in electric cars as well as in combustion engine models.

Relocating abroad, on the other hand, does not play a major role. Only 17 percent of those surveyed consider this step necessary to ensure their competitiveness. For the study, 100 executives from German automotive suppliers were surveyed in March and April. /fjo/DP/zb