As a research campus of the BMBF, ARENA2036 is an innovation platform for research and development of future automobile production. More than 50 partners from industry and science are now driving innovations under one roof. Various future-oriented projects are underway within the framework of ARENA2036, which are carried out individually with and without funding. In particular, several large joint projects located in ARENA2036 such as the Fluid Production project, as well as the Digital Fingerprint and Flexcar projects are worth mentioning. With regard to R&D topics, ARENA2036 is particularly positioned in the implementation of ecosystem innovations. Many project members work together cooperatively and are constantly realizing new synergies, for example in the areas of administration shell, 5G, 3D printing and various other technologies. ARENA2036 also has experience in organizing events with up to several hundred participants.

The wiring harness value chain is one of the focal points of ARENA2036, which includes the following activities:

• Coordination of the wiring harness innovation initiative since 2019 with now over 100 experts from 20 companies from OEM to Tier 3 suppliers (arena2036.de/iilsThis unsubsidized initiative is internationally known and recognized far beyond the wiring harness industry and beyond Germany's borders.
• Initiation of the DIN working group “Automation of wiring harness production” in January 2021, in which around 25 companies participate and collaborate (National Committees din.de).
• Coordination of the Kopa 35c project “Implementation of the administration shell in the value chain of the VWS4LS wiring harness” (arena2036.de/vws4ls).

ARENA2036 is also a partner of the Catena-X consortium with a focus on "transfer of project results" and an associated partner of the "Software Defined Manufacturing" project, which aims to make production facilities in the supplier industry more adaptable. The Catena-X project is actively preparing points of contact for suitable transformation hubs. In addition, ARENA2036 has sufficient experience in legally securing the cooperation of companies with market or competitive relationships. The IILS has been supported in antitrust law since the beginning, which also includes a presentation to the Federal Cartel Office. Further information on the projects can be found on the homepage. Overview Projects | ARENA2036.

Bayern Innovativ is the company for innovation, technology and knowledge transfer in Bavaria. It supports players from business and science at all stages of the value chain with tailor-made services to increase their innovation dynamics. In addition to its own clusters for energy technology, automotive, new materials, mechatronics & automation and the electromobility competence center, the focus is on the topics of health/medical technology, textiles, cultural and creative industries and digitalization. Furthermore, Bayern Innovativ supports numerous companies with a wide range of concerns with targeted offers in the field of technology and innovation management (TIM).

The aim of the Automotive Cluster, managed by Bayern Innovativ, is to deepen the cooperation between companies and research institutions and to further increase the innovative power and added value of the Bavarian economy. The activities of the cluster, managed by Bayern Innovativ GmbH, focus on the key areas of electrics/electronics, on-board networks, drive technologies, interiors and driver assistance systems. The targeted range of services includes cluster meetings at companies and research institutes, the moderation of working groups and workshops as well as the management of joint projects. The Automotive Cluster also supports its players in accessing funding programs at state, federal and EU level and is actively involved in these projects as a partner.

After more than two decades, the core network of the Automotive Cluster includes more than 600 companies and institutes from the automotive sector in all areas relevant to the automobile. In the innovation field of "Electrics/Electronics", the Automotive Cluster connects companies and scientific institutions in the automotive wiring system of the future through the following two formats:

• Annual cooperation forum on board networks with 300 – 400 participants from industry and science. Further information on this year's forum can be found here on-board networks (bayern-innovativ.de).
• Ongoing working group “ASIL metrics in the on-board network” with publication of the guideline together with the ZVEI, see also Working group and guideline ASIL metrics in the on-board network (bayern-innovativ.de).

Bayern Innovativ can also draw on several completed working groups with relevant industry references. In the past, working groups were carried out with the following focus areas: cable material, material substitution, variant reduction, variant reduction and automation-compatible wiring system design. The results were published via guidelines, positive lists, recommendations and a technical guide.

In addition to the Automotive Cluster, the Technology and Innovation Management (TIM) consulting department of Bayern Innovativ is also planned to participate in this project. The main tasks of this department are to support and coach small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as co-innovators. The core topics of TIM's work are trend and technology scouting, the promotion and further development of technology transfer and innovation coaching. TIM's offering includes workshops on design thinking, business models and idea development as well as scouting for new business areas to make it easier for companies to take the step towards viable business. TIM also provides impulses and support for future important technologies, trends and topics using studies, trend and technology radars or roadmaps.

The Showcase North is being built at the Open Hybrid LabFactory eV site in Wolfsburg. The Open Hybrid LabFactory was created in analogy to ARENA2036 from the BMBF's Research Campus initiative. The public-private partnership founded in this way aims to enable cooperative research under one roof. The overarching theme of the research campus is circular economy. Issues of sustainability and the circular economy are researched and application-oriented solutions are developed using the large-scale production facilities in the technical center, which are gradually being introduced into industrial practice. The network with over 30 members conducts research in the four major research fields of design for circular economy, processes for reverse production, sustainable material concepts and overall system analysis and design. When dealing with the questions from the research fields, digitization instruments are used profitably. In addition to the effects on the climate, current crises and the associated effects on supply chains and prices in particular show how important alternative raw material sources are. Therefore, within the framework of the project at the Wolfsburg site, further questions relating to the management system with regard to the circular economy are being addressed.

The members of the Open Hybrid LabFactory eV are made up of various actors from science (TU Braunschweig, Fraunhofer Society) and industry along the entire value chain (OEM, TIER1, TIER2 and TIER3, ...). The skills gained in the network are incorporated into the wiring harness transformation hub. The association member TU Braunschweig deserves special mention, as its institutes for "Electromagnetic Compatibility" and "Electrical Machines, Drives and Railways" are already pursuing far-reaching activities in the field of wiring harnesses.