VDB Mandate
Representativeness – VDB speaks for the German rail industry. It combines the interests of its more than 180 member companies, organises and moderates a consensus, gets involved with specific concerns. VDB represents the entire value chain: from world-renowned system houses to excellent medium-sized suppliers to young, creative companies.
Know-how – Thanks to about 20 expert panels and working committees, in addition to many ad-hoc working groups, VDB has outstanding expertise in its branch of industry. Member companies contribute to and benefit from this unique network. The high, market-based know-how results in VDB being a partner much sought after by politicians, rail operators and society.
Democratic interface – VDB liaises with Federal Government, the Bundestag and Bundesrat, the European Commission and European Parliament. VDB offers its members a forum. It unites forces internally and represents the industry with a strong voice in political discussions. In this manner and with respect to mobility issues of the future, VDB acts as an interface between business and politics ñ which is important for democracy.
Our Values
- Sustainability – The VDB stands for sustainable mobility: economic, climate-friendly and socially connecting. In a climate of social responsibility, VDB represents the interests of the rail industry in Germany. The industry aims to set standards worldwide. It creates the most sustainable mobility that has ever existed for peoples’ everyday lives.
- Professionalism – The VDB considers itself an efficient, flexible and impartial service provider for its member companies. It is constantly taking the pulse of the industry. VDB thus supports the economic success of its members in Germany and on world markets. VDB thus contributes to adding value to one of the most strategic, fundamental German industries.
- Progress for the people – “Rail 4.0” can revolutionise the mobility of the future. Intelligent infrastructure, automated driving, customer-friendly information and entertainment, data-based predictive maintenance, inter-modal and silent logistics – all of this can only occur through innovation by the rail industry. The VDB members are bound by the same commitment to technological progress. This industry’s products and services constantly push back the boundaries of the possible, thus improving the quality of life of people worldwide.
- Partnership – In a spirit of mutual trust, VDB cooperates with politics, rail operators and society. VDB is a knowledgeable, reliable and creative partner and advisor for German and European politics, ministries, EBA, BNetzA, the world of science, renowned international institutions as well as customers of the industry. In this way, VDB supports its members and contributes to pluralistic opinion-forming within democracy.
- Integrity and social responsibility – Transparent action, strict and verifiable compliance with legal rules, high respect for individuality and responsible actions as civic stakeholders shape the ethos of the VDB and the German railway industry. VDB is firmly committed to a free society, the social market economy and sustainable entrepreneurship.
- Free and fair competition – Rail industry companies are successful globally in free competition. VDB stands up for a single European railway area, for open markets worldwide and against protectionism. Competition requires “fair play” – a level playing field for all. However, global asymmetries distort competition, for example through insular procurement markets or lush, state-sponsored covert financing packages for export. The VDB therefore demands a global “level playing field”.
VDB Mission
- Strengthening cooperation and competition – VDB promotes an even closer co-operation between operators, industry and politics. This is because the digital rail transport of the future should be “made in Germany”. Via its forums, VDB also leads the industry from within, both systems vendors and SMEs, thus strengthening solidarity within the industry. Technical cooperation can increase the competitiveness of the industry.
- “Rail 4.0″, promoting innovation and infrastructure. – VDB is pushing digitisation of rail traffic forward and promotes modern infrastructure, more pro-active support for research and development and German ”Rail 4.0” pilot projects in order to make innovations marketable more rapidly. Only those who take a digital quantum leap in the rail sector can provide clean, punctual and safe “state of the art” solutions to the ever-growing cities in the world.
- Implementing climate protection – Despite ambitious goals, the mobility sector has so far contributed little to climate protection. Climate protection needs more rail transport. Its share of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe is 0.2%. With electric mobility, around 30% more energy efficiency thanks to digital control, life-cycle approaches and new drive concepts, rail transport is paving the way toward the 2-Degrees goal.
- Setting standards and norms – VDB is working on the design of approval procedures, standards and technical specifications for interoperability (TSI), with the aim of reducing costs and further increasing technical quality.
- Creating growth – VDB acts as an impetus for policies that break down barriers, increase government investment and intelligently adjust the economy policy framework, thus enabling more growth in the German and European rail sector.
- Establishing good business relationships – One of the core concerns of the VDB is a balanced framework for trustful business relationships between the industry and customers. The aim is to optimise interaction in the value network for mutual benefit.
- Promoting SMEs – The German rail industry is often seen as the most innovative and best quality in the world. This is especially due to a tight network of system vendors and mostly medium-sized suppliers. VDB specifically supports SMEs in securing their competitiveness.
- Opening global markets – From bespoke trade delegations to foreign trade fair presence to intervention to secure fair competition: The VDB strengthens the export-oriented rail industry on global markets. It serves as a door opener and supports its members in their global strategies.
- Making the Single European Railway Area a reality – The technical as well as legal fragmentation of the European railway area weakens rail transport – and thus the home market of the railway industry. VDB is committed to the harmonized European Train Control System ETCS, for efficient authorisation procedures in the EU and for European research programs.
- Communication – With its market-related services, VDB informs its members of relevant developments. VDB is the mouthpiece of the high-tech industry railway industry to the public, provides concepts and new ideas. Top-level discussions, press conferences, large events and professional communication with guests in relevant bodies highlight the spectrum of VDB’s external communications. This is tangible at InnoTrans, the leading international trade fair for the railway industry, in Berlin or wherever else discussions are held.
