Moving towards a new paradigm of collaboration. The influence of current automotive trends on mobility business models and competitive advantage of traditional German OEMs

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Motivation of this study
• Research problem and objectives
• Outline of the thesis structure
• Methodology
• Scientific approach
• Research methods
• Methods of data collection and verification
• Theoretical Background
• Innovation and industrial change
• Innovation types and industry evolution models
• Innovation and industry life cycle models
• Business models and strategy
• Business model definitions and key components
• Blending the business model concept with strategy
• Firm performance and collaboration
• Outline of the German Automotive Industry
• Market overview and recent developments
• Specific characteristics of the German automotive industry
• Value chain design
• R&D infrastructure
• Education, Tax and Location Factors
• Market fragmentation of major German OEMs
• Current automotive mega trends
• Industry evolution and strategic change
• Sources of market innovations
• Nature and types of market innovations
• Initiation and motives for strategic change
• Impact of strategic change on industry profit pools
• Summary and conclusion
• Sources of competitive advantage
• Analysis of inter-organizational relationships
• Evaluation of motives and strategic fit in collaborations
• Assessment of new resources in terms of competitiveness
• Summary and conclusion
• Strategic realignment of German OEMs
• General changes in business strategy
• Red Oceans and Blue Oceans in the German automotive industry
• Developing Blue Ocean strategies for German OEMs
• Summary and Conclusion
• Revised business model proposition for German OEMS
• Modifications of business model elements
• Revision and amendment of existing business models
• Challenges and key success factors of new strategies
• Summary and conclusion
• Conclusion and perspectives
• Findings and implications
• Recommendations for future research

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis explores the impact of current trends in the German automotive industry on the business models and competitive advantage of traditional German car manufacturers. It examines how these trends, through the lens of market innovations, influence the strategies of German OEMs regarding inter-firm collaborations. The study aims to analyze the motives and strategic fit of these collaborations, evaluate the sources of inter-firm competitive advantage, and propose strategic realignments for German OEMs. Key themes include:

• The impact of market innovations on the German automotive industry
• Strategic change in response to industry dynamics
• The role of inter-firm collaborations in achieving competitive advantage
• The development of Blue Ocean strategies for German OEMs
• Revision and amendment of existing business models

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction details the motivation behind the study, outlines the research problem and objectives, and presents the thesis structure. Chapter 2 addresses the methodology employed, covering the scientific approach, research methods, and data collection and verification techniques. Chapter 3 provides a theoretical foundation, focusing on innovation and industrial change, specifically exploring innovation types and industry evolution models, as well as industry life cycle models. It then examines the concept of business models and their relationship to strategy, including key components and the integration of business models with strategic planning. Finally, the chapter delves into firm performance and collaboration, analyzing its importance in the context of business strategy. Chapter 4 presents an overview of the German automotive industry, including market dynamics, recent developments, and specific characteristics such as value chain design, R&D infrastructure, and education, tax, and location factors. It also explores the market fragmentation of major German OEMs and outlines current automotive mega trends impacting the industry. Chapter 5 analyzes the evolution of the automotive industry and the strategies employed by German OEMs to adapt to this change. It examines the sources of market innovations, the nature and types of innovations, and the driving forces behind strategic change. Furthermore, the chapter discusses the impact of strategic change on industry profit pools and provides a summary and conclusion. Chapter 6 explores the sources of competitive advantage within the German automotive industry, particularly focusing on inter-organizational relationships and the evaluation of motives and strategic fit in collaborations. It assesses new resources derived from these relationships and their impact on competitiveness. Chapter 7 examines the strategic realignment of German OEMs in response to industry dynamics, exploring general changes in business strategy, identifying Red Oceans and Blue Oceans within the industry, and developing Blue Ocean strategies for German OEMs. The chapter concludes with a summary and discussion of key findings. Chapter 8 proposes revised business model propositions for German OEMs, outlining modifications to existing models, identifying key success factors, and analyzing the challenges associated with these new strategies.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key focus of this thesis lies in the analysis of the evolving German automotive industry, specifically examining the influence of current trends on the business models and competitive advantage of traditional German OEMs. Key terms include: innovation, industry evolution, market innovations, business models, competitive advantage, inter-firm collaboration, strategic realignment, Blue Ocean strategy, and revised business models.