- TRATON CEO holds keynote speech at the “Summer of Purpose”
- More flexibility and a better focus are the lessons from the coronavirus pandemic to date
- Investments of one billion euros in alternative drives up to 2025 confirmed
- “The lockdown has clearly demonstrated the speed with which we can adapt when we need to,” said TRATON CEO Andreas Renschler
Munich, June 26, 2020 — At the “Summer of Purpose” in Munich, Andreas Renschler spoke about the key lessons the commercial vehicle manufacturer with the Scania, MAN, and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus brands had taken from the coronavirus crisis to date. “The experience from the coronavirus pandemic will strengthen our resilience as a society because we’ve become more flexible and even more focused. The same goes for the TRATON GROUP,” said Andreas Renschler, CEO of TRATON and member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, at the event, the idea for which came from the Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. “The lockdown has clearly demonstrated the speed with which we can adapt when we need to,” added Renschler.
The Summer of Purpose was held at the Messe München trade fair center from June 26 to 28 and was attended by around 50 international representatives from science, art and culture, politics, business, sport, and society either in person or virtually. It centered on the question of what lessons could be drawn from the coronavirus crisis.
It had been shown that good results can also be achieved with virtual meetings and working from a home office. “It’s my conviction that this experience will lastingly change the way we work,” said Renschler in his keynote speech. The TRATON GROUP is already analyzing how the new insights can be combined with pre-coronavirus practices so as to identify the suitable way of working for the future.
The second key lesson from this time was the importance of focus. “The crisis is making us realize where society’s vital organs are: in the healthcare and water supply sectors — and also very considerably in transportation. Transportation is the heartbeat of a connected society and an essential factor in all economies,” stated TRATON’s CEO.
Although the economic slump in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic was also forcing companies to focus and set priorities, TRATON would not abandon its plans for alternative drives. “We at TRATON are fully committed to the climate targets set in the Paris Agreement. That’s why we’ll invest one billion euros in alternative drives up to 2025. Despite the crisis. Because the coronavirus evolution can and must become a green revolution,” emphasized Renschler.
Contact:
Julia Kroeber-Riel
Head of Group Communications & Governmental Relations
T +49 152 58870900
julia.kroeber-riel@traton.com
Matthias Karpstein
Business Media Relations
T +49 172 3603071
matthias.karpstein@traton.com
TRATON SE
Dachauer Str. 641
80995 Munich, Germany
About TRATON SE:
TRATON SE is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer worldwide with its brands MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, and RIO. In 2019, TRATON GROUP’s brands sold around 242,000 vehicles in total. Its offering comprises light-duty commercial vehicles, trucks, and buses at 29 production and assembly sites in 17 countries. The Company had a workforce of around 82,700 employees worldwide across its commercial vehicle brands as of Tuesday, December 31, 2019. The Group seeks to transform the transportation system through its products, its services, and as a partner for its customers.