There is currently one bad news after another in the greater Kassel area: In addition to the fears for jobs at the Volkswagen plant in Baunatal, there is now the loss of up to 750 jobs at the inverter manufacturer SMA Solar in Niestetal. Of all things, this is a company that had great hopes for the future. The traditional German car industry is going downhill, and at the same time environmentally friendly innovations are not producing the growth hoped for. This is not only observed here. SMA Solar has grown enormously since it was founded by employees of the University of Kassel in 1981, and the company now employs more than 4,000 people worldwide. However, the former solar pioneer is now struggling with competitors from China, just like the automotive industry. German companies can only survive in this competition if they further develop their products. At SMA Solar, expanding the business with energy management systems could be the solution; Volkswagen wants and needs to bring cheaper electric cars onto the market. More on the topic Both take time and will not prevent jobs from being lost now – some of them possibly forever. But it is already evident elsewhere that the transformation can also secure jobs. At Daimler Truck in Kassel, for example, electrification means that axles are no longer just built for trucks, but electric drives are also mounted directly on them, making the work more demanding. Politicians should support the industry in the transformation, for example by reducing costs the network fees for electricity. But it cannot save companies from having to restructure. As with electric cars, giving the Chinese the right of way would ultimately be the worst solution.
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