Audi 2011 Annual Report Download - page 105

worldwide and also have plans to build
cars in North America in the future.
Third, in keeping with our value-
oriented approach to corporate man-
agement, we regard healthy, superior
fi nancial strength as the measure
of all things.
And fourth, everything depends on
having a motivated, well-qualifi ed
workforce. That means we want to be
an attractive employer at our locations.
Dr. John von Freyend: I believe the
topic of training, human resources and
expertise is extraordinarily important.
Outstanding, motivated employees are
vital for success.
Strotbek: We have a clear picture of
our growth pathway. Even throughout
the crisis of 2008 and 2009 we kept
recruiting, mainly engineers and
specialists. We took on about 1,300
experts in 2011 and will be hiring
a similar number in 2012. We keep
stepping up the pace in an eff ort to
recruit the best on the market for our
core areas. Our new employees can
look forward to exciting tasks in line
with our ambitious growth targets.
Dr. John von Freyend: The topic of
growth is now the subject of some
criticism in Western industrial nations.
But economic growth is not simply
about constantly generating “more
of the same.” Rather, growth is about
change. Take, for instance, Germany’s
plans for a radical change in its energy
supply. Obviously that will only
work if new, intelligent, energy-saving
technologies are developed. But at
the same time, old technologies will
cease to be used. I believe that when
the concept of growth is defi ned
properly, there is no longer an inherent
contradiction between quality and
volume.
Strotbek: Though there isn’t much
evidence of growth in Europe
at present, only Germany is faring
relatively well.
Dr. John von Freyend: That’s right.
America and Asia are still delivering
decent growth rates. But there are
problems in the eurozone. We at the
Cologne Institute for Economic
Research don’t expect to see that re-
gion grow at all this year. Fortunately,
Germany is the exception; today it is
the powerhouse of growth in Europe,
102
_ Responsibility
having achieved about three percent in
2011, and according to our estimates
it will still manage around one percent
in 2012. Particularly here in London,
one of the causes is clearly in evidence.
Britain has become a service econo-
my, whereas Germany has remained
largely an industrial economy.
German industry contributes around
one-quarter of gross national product
and gross added value, and that
proportion barely fell even during the
economic crisis. That strong industrial
base, fi rst-class products and high
manufactured quality coupled with
the hunger for prosperity of emerging
economies have enabled us to increase
our exports year after year. I believe
that is the very essence of the German
economy’s strength, and we should
let nobody try to persuade us to turn
our backs on intelligent industry and
industry-oriented services.
Strotbek: I share your view. And for
us as carmakers, there are two key
aspects: Because there is a strong
correlation between demand on car
markets and the performance of a
national economy, we need a stable
economic environment. The second
aspect is that we need to shore up our
export success long-term. Particularly
for us in the car industry, it is hugely
important to be technologically at
the forefront. That is why we want
the Audi brand to take on a pioneering
role – true to our brand essence
“Vorsprung durch Technik.”
Dr. John von Freyend: On the subject of
technology ... I get the impression that
the automotive industry is facing one
of the biggest upheavals in its history.
Strotbek: Yes, these are extremely
exciting times as we strive to
determine the future shape of mobility.
We are facing the challenge of not
just refi ning existing technologies, an
area in which Audi is very strong and
has set many benchmarks, but also
promoting the electrifi cation and
hybridization of the car. The Audi brand
intends to have the widest range of
hybrid models in the premium segment
with the Q5 hybrid quattro, as well as
the A6 hybrid and A8 hybrid, which
will be appearing on the market this
year. At the end of 2012 we will also be
unveiling the small-series R8 e-tron,
an electric vehicle in the supercar
segment. The next product generations
will then build on the plug-in hybrid
idea; these cars can travel electrically
but still have a combustion engine
so as to draw on the advantages of
both technologies. As matters stand,
we are planning to have an electric
vehicle in every major car line by the
end of the decade.
Dr. John von Freyend: About half the
world’s population now lives in cities.
The proportion will grow to two-thirds
over the next few decades. When we
drove into London from the airport
Fuel consumption and emission fi gures at the end of the Annual Report
PHOTOS | PAL HANSEN
Economic expert
Dr. Eckart John von Freyend,
68, is regarded as one of the
leading representatives of
German industry. He worked
for the Federation of German
Industries (BDI) for 18 years.
Between 1990 and 1995 he
was Assistant Secretary of
State at the German Ministry
of Finance. John von Freyend
then became Chairman of
the Board of Management of
IVG Immobilien AG, one of
Europe’s biggest real estate
companies. He is now President
of the Cologne Institute for
Economic Research and advises
international companies.
“We are not just seeking to
grow quantitatively, we are
especially eager for qualitative
growth.”
Axel Strotbek