Abstract

PAZMINO, Daniel F. Crespo. Espionage and Competitiveness: The German Automotive Industry in China's Modern Commercial Game. URVIO [online]. 2020, n.26, pp.93-103. ISSN 1390-4299.  https://doi.org/10.17141/urvio.26.2020.4221.

Innovation and technological development are a crucial source of competitiveness within the global trading environment. So far in the 21st century, some German automotive firms, such as Audi, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz, have positioned at the top of internationally recognized car companies for their quality and innovative prestige. It is no novelty to mention that there are more and more car-producing companies, which reproduce the models of the main brands at a lower cost, and in doing so, they have positioned themselves internationally. However, it is especially noteworthy the fact that the German automobile industry has been spreading its linkage with the manufacturers and assemblers of cars in China, which have become famous by doubling the German product. This article shows how corporate espionage constitutes a part of the modern commercial game, particularly in the context of the German automotive industry in China, under the lens of economic security, the dynamics of modern industrial espionage and the culture of China's capitalism. For such ends, it discusses the main cases of Chinese espionage of the German industry, the defensive actions undertaken by the German Government, and the strategies that the German automotive industry prioritizesin order to maintain its competitiveness in an environment of espionage and uncertainty.

Keywords : automotive industry; China; competitive intelligence; competitiveness; Germany; industrial espionage; innovation.

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