July 19, 2012: The Volkswagen Group presented the Volkswagen Group Award 2012 to its best suppliers. Prof. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, and Dr. Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, Member of the Group Board of Management with responsibility for Procurement, presented the awards to a total of 18 premium suppliers during an event in Copenhagen, Denmark yesterday evening. The award ceremony was attended by some 200 guests.
This year’s ceremony was held during the event in Copenhagen marking the launch of the new Audi A3, the first Group model based on the new modular transverse toolkit (MQB).
Prof. Winterkorn praised the contribution made by all the award winners in implementing the new strategy: "Many of you have played a big part in getting the MQB up and running in the Volkswagen Group. I would like to thank you all for the successful and constructive cooperation in putting our modular toolkit strategy into practice."
Addressing the guests, Garcia Sanz set the scene for the upcoming challenges: "With the introduction of the modular toolkit strategy throughout the Group, your products will in future not only be used at different sites and in different brands, but will at the same time be fitted in several of the Group’s vehicle classes around the world. Going forward, mastering this complexity and the associated growth will be crucial to our success."
The Volkswagen Group honors its best suppliers for their overall entrepreneurial performance with the Volkswagen Group Award. The award-winning companies excel in particular with regard to innovative strength, product quality, development expertise and competent project management. Initiatives to improve efficiency and environmental compatibility also rank as one of the main criteria in the selection process.
In total, 18 companies received the Volkswagen Group Award this year.