Jaguar Land Rover says CASE concepts have moved to the top of its priority list as megatrends start to increasingly shape the way it does business.
Addressing the recent Central & Eastern European Automotive Forum organised by Adam Smith Conferences in Budapest, JLR outlined how the move to CASE needed to be coordinated with suppliers.
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“Most urgent is what we refer to as autonomous driving, electric vehicles, sharing [CASE], not just technologies with those vehicles,” said JLR Global STA director, Body Engineering, Special Vehicle Operations & European Operations, Paul Goff at the Budapest conference.
“It is about how we ensure that capability is developed through the supply base. How we support suppliers in a massive shift for the industry.”
JLR is particularly active in Central and Eastern Europe, having started operations at its EUR1.4bn (US$1.5bn) Nitra factory in Slovakia, where the new Defender will be built, while it also has an engineering technical centre in Budapest.
“We are in the middle of launching the new Defender – there is a huge responsibility on us and the team working on it,” added Goff. “Everybody knows that car in the market is hugely exciting. In addition, we have launched the Jaguar I-Pace, the first fully-electric vehicle; that has been a full success for us.
“Certainly for suppliers in this region, our focus has been sourcing the right components in the right locations. We have a large purchasing operation in Central Europe – we spend in the region of EUR3bn in Central and Eastern Europe with around 300 supplier facilities.
“Our supplier strategy is very much one of partnership. It is understanding [what] the skill sets of a supplier can bring to our organisation. We would be a company that prides ourselves on being approachable. We want to treat everyone with respect, to build long-term relationships.”
Jaguar Land Rover’s investment in Nitra is part of the manufacturer’s global expansion strategy following the opening of its Chinese joint venture in 2014 and Brazilian plant in 2016, supported by contract manufacturing in India from 2011 and Austria from 2017.
Jaguar Land Rover employs around 1,500 people in Nitra: 98% are Slovak nationals and 30% women. Last November, JLR launched its second phase of local recruitment, looking for an additional 850 people to join the Nitra team.
