Abstract

The structuring of the automotive supply chain in tiers, which has progressively taken place over the last twenty years, has brought to the fore especially Tier 1 suppliers, tasked with producing the so-called modules or systems, in cooperation and collaboration with a wide network of Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers. The entire automotive supply chain has been deeply affected by the economic crisis, particularly in Europe. The restructuring of the sector has occurred among final assemblers and, to a greater extent, among suppliers. This paper aims to analyse the main changes in Tier 1 of the automotive supply chain over the last few years, trying to understand key modifications in competition among the different production systems and the role played by companies operating in Europe. Finally, the purpose of this research is also to contribute, thanks to empirical evidence drawn from an original and extremely detailed database, to the discussion on the main interpretation models based on the concepts of global value chain and supply chain management.