BMW Group

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (BMW AG) is the parent company of BMW Group, a globally operating German automobile and motorcycle manufacturer with Headquarters in Munich. The product range includes the automobile and motorcycle brand BMW, the car brands Mini and Rolls-Royce and the BMW sub-brands BMW M and BMW i. The Group is one of the so-called premium manufacturers and with a turnover of 94.2 billion euros and around 125,000 employees it is one of the largest commercial enterprises in Germany and with an annual production of 2.36 million vehicles in 2016 counted to the 15 largest car manufacturers in the world.

With the opening of the plant in southern Brazil in autumn 2014, BMW has opened its first subsidiary in South America. The factory in Araquari in the state of Santa Catarina consists of body shop, paint shop and assembly and has an annual production capacity of up to 30,000 vehicles. In addition to close networking with local suppliers, close cooperation with the university sector in Brazil is important to the BMW Group. Through its university partner UFSC in nearby Joinville, BMW is a central project partner in the AWARE network, e.g. in the AIM funding project.