Yesterday evening, in Brussels, CLEPA and AUTOMOBIL PRODUKTION celebrated the excellence of the European automotive suppliers industry with the launch of the “Dinner for Winner” event.

This unique event, with guests selected from CEOs of the automotive suppliers industry and representatives of the European Commission, is organized by AUTOMOBIL PRODUKTION, VDA and CLEPA, the automotive suppliers association and fastest growing association in terms of membership in Brussels.

“The Dinner for Winner event provides a tremendous opportunity to network and host colleagues in an atmosphere that showcases performance and innovation. It is a great occasion to learn from each other and enjoy the link that exists within our community in Europe and worldwide", said Mr Jean Marc Gales, CEO CLEPA

The awards presented by a jury composed of CEOs and Presidents of national associations have been categorized in two different areas: the first one resulted from the Top 100 Automotive Suppliers Global Ranking, with specific mention for Fastest Risers, Best Newcomers of the year and the Largest Sales Growth; the second category regrouped the most innovative companies in terms of “green, safe and connected” products.

The winners of the different categories were:
Largest Sales Growth: Toyoda Gosei
Fastest Riser: Asahi Glass
Best Newcomer: Gestamp
Innovation Award: Green Robert Bosch, for next generation start/stop system
Innovation Award: Safe DELPHI, for the “RACam system” an integrated radar and camera system for a suite of active safety features.

A special mention of the jury for overall innovation went to OCTO Telematics for their innovative connectivity approach.
DENSO became the Number One Automotive Supplier in the 2012 global ranking.

“These awards are particularly important considering that despite macroeconomics troubles, automotive suppliers companies are investing in innovative products to safeguard their leadership”, declared Mr Jean Marc Gales, CEO CLEPA.

European automotive suppliers are global leaders in innovation, due to their annual investment of €18 billion in Research and Development for a greening, safer and more connected future. For years, European suppliers have registered the most patents for innovations in emissions and safety. 75% of value added in a car is provided by automotive suppliers. “We absolutely need to keep high-level research and manufacturing in Europe. The EU funds currently allocated to the automotive industry are insufficient to guarantee this”, stressed Mr Jean Marc Gales.

The success of the event is a boost to the image of the European automotive supply industry and will help to attract investment and young talents to the sector. A skilled and dynamic workforce is an absolute necessity to innovate, develop and manufacture new technologies.

“I would like to congratulate the winners, and express my appreciation to our partner AUTOMOBIL PRODUKTION for its valuable input. My special thanks go to all CLEPA members whose participation made the event possible. Together we can now look forward to next year edition”, concluded Mr Gales, CEO CLEPA.
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CLEPA is the European Association of Automotive Suppliers.
108 of the world's most prominent suppliers for car parts, systems and modules and 25 National trade associations and European sector associations are members of CLEPA, representing more than 3 thousand companies, employing more than 5 million people and covering all products and services within the automotive supply chain. Based in Brussels, Belgium, CLEPA is recognized as the natural discussion partner by the European Institutions, United Nations and fellow associations (ACEA, JAMA, MEMA, etc).

Facts about the European automotive industry

•  Some 12 million people are employed in the European automotive industry
•  European automotive suppliers employs directly 5 million people
•  European automotive suppliers invest €18bn in RDI per year. They are the biggest private investor into research and innovation
•  Per year, 18 million vehicles are manufactured in Europe, contributing to the stability and growth of the European economy

For more information, please contact: Mrs. Amalia Di Stefano, CLEPA Deputy CEO, a.distefano@clepa.be
Tel.: +32 2 743 91 35, www.clepa.eu