Title: The restructuring of tier 1 automotive suppliers in Europe during the crisis

Authors: Alessandro Manello; Giuseppe Calabrese

Addresses: CNR-Ceris, via Real Collegio, 30, 10024 Moncalieri, Italy ' CNR-Ceris, via Real Collegio, 30, 10024 Moncalieri, Italy

Abstract: The structuring of the automotive supply chain in tiers, which has progressively taken place over the last 20 years, has brought to the fore especially tier 1 suppliers, tasked with producing the so-called modules or systems, in cooperation and collaboration with a wide network of tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers. The entire automotive supply chain has been deeply affected by the economic crisis, particularly in Europe. The restructuring of the sector has occurred among final assemblers and, to a greater extent, among suppliers. This paper aims to analyse the main changes seen in tier 1 of the supply chain over the last few years, trying to understand key modifications in competition among the different production systems and the role played by companies operating in Europe. Lastly, the purpose of this research is also to contribute, thanks to empirical evidence drawn from an original and extremely detailed database, to the discussion on the main interpretation models based on the concepts of global value chain and supply chain management.

Keywords: tier 1 suppliers; automotive suppliers; global value chain; country positioning; financial crisis; supplier restructuring; Europe; automobile industry; automotive supply chains; supply chain management; SCM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2015.067093

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2015 Vol.15 No.1, pp.80 - 95

Published online: 26 Jan 2015 *

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