Harman Becker in Karlsbad: 800 jobs in danger - what now?

Harman Becker in Karlsbad: 800 jobs in danger - what now?

Becker-Göring-Straße 167, 76307 Karlsbad, Deutschland - The traditional location of Harman Becker in Karlsbad faces an uncertain future. The approximately 800-person location in the Karlsbad-Oldersbach industrial area could possibly leave the traditional seat. This reports Bnn . Harman Becker belongs to Harman International, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, which specializes in solutions for digital multimedia content. The product range ranges from connected car solutions to lifestyle audio and internet of things solutions.

The automotive supply industry, which includes Harman Becker, faces major challenges. According to the information from Statista , many established suppliers are confronted with a significant decline in demand, which results in a variety of job cuts. Significant changes in the market through change to electromobility and autonomous driving put the industry under pressure. In recent years, many companies, including Continental, have reported thousands of lost jobs.

Harman Becker and the renovation of the industry

With their variety of premium brands such as AKG®, JBL® and Harman Kardon®, Harman is a leading company in the field of acoustics. The threats from technical innovations and the need to adapt to new components for electric vehicles are topics that are currently concerned with management in Karlsbad. Information from the city of Karlsbad illustrate that the company employs over 30,000 employees globally and many products are already installed in millions of vehicles.

The continuing uncertainty regarding the future of the location in Karlsbad could not only affect employees but also the entire region. The automotive suppliers are used to a change, but the current situation ensures worrying developments on the labor market. While sales in the industry was over 90 billion euros in 2023, the future looks difficult for many traditional suppliers due to the lower margins and the competition by new providers that rely on e-mobility.

In addition to these economic challenges, local companies, such as the Pizzeria Sette Colli in Pfinztal, also fight for survival. This was recently nominated as the most popular Pizzeria Baden-Württemberg, but is exposed to massive difficulties by construction sites. The pizzeria is not the only problem child in the region; The Karlsruhe Zoo also reports worrying news about the good health of the Eisbären Kap, which requires further medical examinations. Such developments illustrate how diverse the challenges for the entrepreneurs of the Karlsruhe surrounding area are.