12/3/2026 |Articles are machine translated
You might also be wondering what Škoda Auto’s recipe for success is? What does it do differently than other European automakers that it is achieving record results even in these difficult times for the automotive industry? I asked for you, but don’t expect any miraculous advice. “We have a fresh and successful product portfolio, a strong brand, we work effectively with purchasing and using the capacity of production plants,” says Škoda Auto board member Martin Jahn. Elementary, my dear Watson? Not quite. In a comprehensive interview, the newly re-elected president of the Association of the Automotive Industry does not only talk about the flagship of the Czech automotive industry, but above all about the entire sector. He admits that suppliers have a hard time, among other things because they have to carefully weigh which technologies they invest in. A wrong decision can have fatal consequences for them.
On the other hand, none of the entities in the European automotive sector will have an easy time with the accelerating transformation, and the fundamental factor that will influence the future of the automotive industry in Europe is and will be European regulations. New proposals from the European Commission are currently on the table, which should meet the growing criticism from business circles about excessive ambitions that cannot be fulfilled. Several texts in this issue of the magazine are devoted to European developments in this field, in particular the “automotive package”. No one yet knows the answer to the question of whether the new legislation will be a truly pragmatic response to market realities or just a cosmetic change without effect. But many suspect.
Not everything is determined by Brussels. Part of the responsibility remains at home – and that is where we have the greatest scope to influence things. Petr Šimoník, Vice-Dean for Cooperation with Industry and Commercialization at the Faculty of Electronics and Informatics of VŠB-TUO, points out that support for applied research in the form of subsidies and grants, which he considers essential, does not always go where it can bring the greatest effect. Better connections between companies and academia could significantly accelerate the technological shift of the entire industry.
One of the key topics of the issue is an overview of subsidy support for industrial companies, which shows how broad and at the same time complex the system of national and European instruments is available to companies today. It is not just about orientation in individual programs, but above all about the ability to choose the right tool for a specific project and master the increasingly demanding rules for drawing them down. The article also indicates where the support system is moving. In the coming period, it will no longer primarily be about classic non-repayable subsidies, but to a greater extent about repayable forms of financing and targeted support for strategic investments. For some companies, this will mean a change in approach – from “drawing subsidies” to thoughtful financing of development. Those who have already accepted this logic today will not face any reversal, but rather confirmation of the right direction. Elementary.
May the current issue of Český autoprůmysl be your good companion in the spring days.
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