MAN outlines MAN2030+ plan to invest €1bn in German operations

MAN Truck & Bus presents its MAN2030+ program, confirming nearly €1bn in investments, job security until 2035, and plans to strengthen German production sites.

MAN Truck & Bus has unveiled its long-term MAN2030+ programme, a roadmap intended to shape the company’s future and that of its German production sites over the coming decade. More than a simple restructuring plan, the initiative represents a comprehensive agreement between management, works councils and the IG Metall trade union, covering investment, employment and technological transformation.

At the heart of MAN2030+ is a commitment to invest nearly one billion euros in German operations by the end of 2030. Most of the funding is earmarked for sites in Bavaria, including Munich and Nuremberg, and is aimed at preparing plants for future industry requirements such as electrification, digitalisation and automation.

Alongside these investments, MAN has pledged to retain all its German production sites and to guarantee employment until at least the end of 2035. Subject to performance targets in the company’s core truck business, this job security could be extended to 2040. Crucially, the programme rules out redundancies for operational reasons, with workforce adjustments planned through natural demographic change. Over ten years, MAN expects a net reduction of around 2,300 jobs in Germany, a figure below the number of employees forecast to retire in the same period.

Financing the investment package will require significant cost reductions. MAN aims to cut around 900 million euros by 2028, largely through savings in material and overhead costs and by improving sales performance. Measures directly affecting employees will be implemented only under co-determination arrangements with worker representatives.

Technology plays a central role in the strategy. MAN is aligning itself with the TRATON Modular System, the group-wide platform designed to underpin the next generation of trucks and buses across TRATON brands. The concept is based on developing key technologies once at group level and deploying them across brands while preserving individual brand identities, a move intended to reduce costs and speed up product development.

Electrification is another key pillar. MAN has already launched battery production in Nuremberg and announced further investment to expand capacity. Under MAN2030+, the company is also considering an additional battery plant in Eastern Europe, dependent on the pace of growth in electric truck and bus markets. These plans are complemented by further investments in other regions of the TRATON Group to support the rollout of new modular platforms.

The agreement comes against the backdrop of mounting pressure in the commercial vehicle industry. Intense competition, high energy and labour costs, and shifting market conditions are forcing manufacturers to rethink their structures. While IG Metall has backed the compromise, the union has made clear it will closely monitor implementation, particularly with regard to the long-term safeguarding of German sites.

Overall, MAN2030+ reflects an attempt to balance industrial responsibility with economic reality: maintaining a strong manufacturing base in Germany while positioning the company for technological change and tougher competition. Its success will largely depend on how quickly electrification progresses and whether MAN can translate heavy investment into lasting competitive strength.