This Wednesday morning, 15 November, the President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen gave her traditional State of the Union speech. It was an opportunity for the head of the European executive to recall the main political priorities of the Union for the coming years, all in the light of a busy European and international agenda. As expected, part of the speech was devoted to digital and climate issues, with some elements to be retained for the automotive and mobility sector.
After emphasising all the dimensions linked to the post-Covid-19 recovery context, Ursula Von Der Leyen recalled the momentum of the digital transition. Through the example of semiconductors, “these chips on which the functioning of so many things depend: smartphones, electric scooters, trains or even entire smart factories“, the importance of European technological sovereignty was reaffirmed. A new European law on semiconductors will be presented soon. The aim is to create a semiconductor ecosystem that includes production.
In February 2021, during an exchange with the European Commission on power electronics, our sector insisted on the importance for this emerging industry to remain competitive with international competitors. The French Automotive & Mobility Network therefore welcomes Ursula Von Der Leyen’s vision on the subject of semiconductors.
In addition, the former German minister mentioned the ongoing transition to zero emission mobility. She recalled that “Germany registered more electric vehicles than diesel cars in the first half of 2021” and that “Poland is now the EU country that exports the most car batteries and electric buses“. The President of the Commission added: “We will put a price on pollution. We will make the energy we use cleaner. We will build smarter, cleaner cars.”
It should be noted that the Commission’s objectives coincide with the vision of “Smart & Green” mobility promoted by the French Automotive & Mobility Network. These announcements are in line with the strategy that the French industry has been pursuing for several years, with a focus on electromobility and autonomous and connected mobility. The State of the Union 2021 speech reaffirms the importance of these themes to enable our sector to meet the major political challenges of tomorrow.
