Wolfsburg AG

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Wolfsburg AG
FormerlyGIZ Gründungs- und Innovationszentrum GmbH
Company typeAktiengesellschaft
Founded1999 (1999) in Wolfsburg, Germany
FoundersCity of Wolfsburg, Volkswagen Group
Headquarters,
Area served
Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony
Key people
  • Julius von Ingelheim
    (Speaker of the
    Board of Directors
    )
  • Klaus Mohrs
    (Chairman of the
    Supervisory Board
    )
RevenueIncrease 507 million (2013)[1]
OwnersCity of Wolfsburg, Volkswagen Group
Number of employees
Increase 126 (permanent, 2013)
Decrease 8,659 (temporary, 2013)
Websitewolfsburg-ag.com

Wolfsburg AG is a German

unemployment rate of the city of Wolfsburg.[6][7]

History

Corporate Headquarters of Wolfsburg AG (2011)
Forum AutoVision (aerial photography, 2013)

The city of Wolfsburg became a lot less attractive during the 1990s.

service sector compared to the national average. In addition, other German automotive industry locations had a considerably higher density of regional suppliers. The city of Wolfsburg was losing purchasing power in the realm of approximately 200 to 300 million euros per year.[9] The city's tax revenues fell by almost a third in the wake of the Volkswagen crisis between 1991 and 1994.[10] Observers later compared the situation to that of Detroit. In the course of the 1990s, the city of Wolfsburg and the Volkswagen Group finally agreed on the idea of working together to deal with the structural problems.[11]

This was the source of motivation for drawing up the AutoVision concept.[12] The Volkswagen Group referred to it as a strategy to "establish an automotive cluster".[13] It was created with the support of the consulting firm McKinsey & Company and included a wide range of ideas for enhancing the quality of life and competitiveness in Wolfsburg.[14] One of the most important ideas was the establishment of an "adventure world" that would extend over the entire city.[15] Measures in the field of economic development were intended to ensure a reduction in the dependence of the Wolfsburg region on the automotive industry, as well as the creation of new jobs especially in the service sector, thereby reducing unemployment.[16] The city of Wolfsburg and the Volkswagen Group founded Wolfsburg AG in 1997 in order to put the AutoVision concept into practice.[17]

The company was created after the "GIZ Gründungs- und Innovationszentrum GmbH" limited company was converted into a stock corporation.[18] The city of Wolfsburg and Volkswagen each hold a 50 percent share in Wolfsburg AG.[19] In the beginning, the business operations of Wolfsburg AG covered four task areas: the InnovationsCampus, Supplier Park, Adventure World and PersonnelServiceAgency.[20] While the InnovationsCampus promoted the creation of new businesses, the Supplier Park enabled additional suppliers from the automotive industry and related industries to become established in the region. The aim of the Adventure World idea was to provide quality leisure activities in the city of Wolfsburg in order to increase the city’s attractiveness, while giving the service sector a boost at the same time. The tasks of the Personnel Service Agency included taking care of recruitment (including temporary employment) and employee qualifications in particular.[21]

Structure

Wolfsburg AG is headquartered at the AutoVision Forum located in Wolfsburg's Hageberg district.[22] The company owns and operates the site, which boasts a floor space of approximately 27,000 square meters. Essential components of the building complex are the Center for Simultaneous Engineering and the InnovationsCampus. Between the two lies the Arena: offices, catering, conference and event facilities are housed in this central building.[23]

The objective of Wolfsburg AG is to promote the economic structure and the development of employment opportunities primarily in Wolfsburg and in the region to create jobs and improve quality of life".

common shares). These shares are not traded on a stock exchange and may only be transferred with the approval of the annual general meeting.[24]

Wolfsburg AG is represented by two members of the

executive board or one board member and a procurator. The executive board currently consists of four people, with Julius von Ingelheim appointed as its spokesman.[25] The supervisory board consists of 18 people, who are appointed in equal parts by the city of Wolfsburg and the Volkswagen Group.[26] The Chairman of the Supervisory Board is Klaus Mohrs,[25]
who has been serving as mayor of Wolfsburg since 2012.

Wolfsburg AG is financed primarily by the activities of the PersonnelServiceAgency.,[19] which is called AutoVision Zeitarbeit and was founded as a joint venture with a Volkswagen subsidiary in 2013.[27] The company provides specialized and supporting staff who are employed during work peaks and the holiday period. Wolfsburg AG is also involved in other enterprises, for example in the Gewerbeakademie Wolfsburg (Wolfsburg Commercial Academy), the Neue Schule Wolfsburg (Wolfsburg New School) and the Wolfsburger Energieagentur (Wolfsburg Energy Agency).[1]

Operations

International Suppliers Fair (2014)

The company is also active in the fields of education, health, energy, leisure and mobility as well as in business development.[28] The Agency for Intercultural Business Relations, for example, acts as a service provider for other companies that want to qualify their employees for a stay abroad. The range of activities in the area of private and occupational health spans from the education and supervision of staff to the development and commercialization of preventive healthcare services.[29][30] Together with Wolfsburg's public utilities, the Wolfsburg Energy Agency provides citizens, businesses and municipalities with advice in all matters relating to energy and energy efficiency in particular.[31][32]

Wolfsburg AG also funds a range of leisure activities designed to increase the attractiveness of the city of Wolfsburg and the region as a location for living and tourism. The Allerpark plays an important role in this area: Wolfsburg AG built the Volkswagen Arena in the park in 2002 and has remained its proprietor right up to the present day.[33] The Allerpark is even home to an ice hockey stadium and a public swimming complex.[34] Wolfsburg AG is responsible for the park management of the Allerpark, as well as project development and the acquisition of operators and investors.

Wolfsburg AG also gives special attention to the automotive industry, which it considers to be a key factor in economic development.[35] In addition to promoting the establishment of suppliers in the region, Wolfsburg AG also supports industry networking and research initiatives in the field of mobility and even organizes conventions and exhibitions.[36] The annual International Suppliers Fair (IZB), for example, is one of the largest events for automotive industry suppliers.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b "Jahresabschluss 2013" [Annual Report 2013] (in German). Bundesanzeiger. 2014-04-11. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  2. .
  3. ^ Harald Willenbrock. "Wolfsburg, wir haben ein Problem" (in German). brand eins. p. 8. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  4. .
  5. ^ David J. Maurrasse (2013). Strategic Public Private Partnerships: Innovation and Development (in German). Cheltenham, Northampton: Edward Elgar. p. 73.
  6. ^ Peter Wilhelm (2003-06-21). "Wolfsburg als leuchtendes Vorbild". Saarbrücker Zeitung.
  7. .
  8. ^ Harald Willenbrock (May 2005). "Wolfsburg klotzt" (in German). brand eins. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  9. ^ Robin Grüe (2002). Wolfsburg AG – Ein Modell zur Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen? (in German). München: Grin Verlag. p. 4.
  10. .
  11. ^ Bert Losse (2013-12-06). "Die Autostädte Ingolstadt und Wolfsburg wachsen am schnellsten" (in German). Wirtschaftswoche. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  12. .
  13. ^ Robin Grüe (2002). Wolfsburg AG – Ein Modell zur Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen? (in German). München: Grin Verlag. p. 7.
  14. .
  15. .
  16. ^ Thomas Assheuer (2005-09-28). "Triumph der Stadt: Die Werk-Stadt" (in German). Die Zeit. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  17. ^ Robin Grüe (2002). Wolfsburg AG – Ein Modell zur Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen? (in German). München: Grin Verlag. p. 6.
  18. ^ "Facts & Figures". Wolfsburg AG. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  19. ^ .
  20. .
  21. .
  22. ^ Jürgen Voges (2002-08-16). "Hartz Jobwunder gibt es schon" (in German). Die Tageszeitung. p. 6.
  23. ^ "Space for Communication and Innovation". Wolfsburg AG. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  24. ^ a b "Satzung der Wolfsburg AG" [Articles of Association of Wolfsburg AG] (in German). Bundesanzeiger. 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  25. ^ a b "The Board and the Supervisory Board". Wolfsburg AG. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  26. .
  27. ^ "Volkswagen mit neuer Tochter für Zeitarbeit" (in German). Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung. 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  28. ^ "Fields of Activity". Wolfsburg AG. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  29. ^ "Healthy for a better Quality of Life". Wolfsburg AG. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  30. ^ Nina Luttmer (2004-10-13). "Public-Private-Partnership auch im Gesundheitswesen" (in German). Financial Times Deutschland.
  31. ^ "Energy Production in Harmony with the Environment". Wolfsburg AG. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  32. ^ "Energieagentur berät über Förderungen bei energetischen Sanierungen" (in German). Hallo Wochenende. 2014-11-16. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  33. .
  34. .
  35. ^ "Wolfsburg – A Centre for Automotive Mobility". Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  36. ^ Thomas Sponticcia (1998-07-11). "Volkswagen stellt Entwicklungs-Konzept für Wolfsburg vor" (in German). Saarbrücker Zeitung.
  37. ^ "Zulieferer wollen nach Wolfsburg" (in German). Der Tagesspiegel. 2010-06-16. p. 16.

External links