The most important employment sector is the car industry, represented by the major German car manufacturers, the major vehicle parts suppliers (‘1. Tier’), numerous medium-sized parts suppliers, engineering service providers, as well as firms which have specialised in supplying special hardware and software tools for the production line. The most favoured business areas are research and development, but also construction and production.

Areas of expertise include all those connected with electronics in the widest possible sense, i.e. both hardware and software. The main areas of employment are to be found in the development of electronic circuits as well as of steering and control equipment for use in vehicle propulsion, safety technology and infotainment:

Many of the firms mentioned above are based in southern Germany, offering graduates an impressive range of job prospects in the region, as can be seen in the large number of job adverts received. The area around Ulm itself is also traditionally known for its internationally renowned commercial vehicle firms (lorries and buses), as well as its car manufacturers. Several companies complain that they are unable to satisfy their need for engineers in this field.

The continuing rapid pace of innovation, particularly in the areas of development and applications, is sure to offer excellent job opportunities for vehicle electronic engineers even in the long term.