Locally and globally: Audi takes responsibility

Audi supports science, education, art, culture, and sports as part of its commitment to promote social cohesion and increase solidarity. This commitment has been integral to AUDI AG’s self-image for decades. Corporate actions that go above and beyond mere business activities and add value to society demonstrate Audi’s ethos.

An essential part of Audi’s commitment is acting as a “good neighbor” at its production locations. Audi is also involved in research and education worldwide through research grants and scientific partnerships. The Audi Environmental Foundation is devoted to promoting Greenovation (green innovation) around the world through innovative technologies that help preserve the habitat of humans, animals, and plants and hence make the future worth living.

Three focus areas: Engage, educate, empower

To make a significant contribution to healthy social cohesion and initiate sustainable change, Audi focuses on three main areas: engage, educate, and empower. These principles form the foundation for Audi’s three commitments to corporate social responsibility (CSR). First, its commitment to act as a good local neighbor (corporate citizenship); second, its commitment to making a global impact; and third, the activities of the Audi Environmental Foundation. Audi sees the positive changes that the brand with the four rings is making in society – locally and globally – as proof of its measures.

In all three of its commitments, Audi often works closely with partners (such as social institutions, associations, universities, NGOs, or social start-ups) to effect positive changes in society, corporate culture, and among its workforce.

A history of local engagement

Companies are social actors. What they do has an impact – one that can be positive or negative. Audi is deeply rooted in every region where it is active: Around 87,000 employees and their families live near Audi locations. Then there are its suppliers, along with their employees and families, who move to the respective areas and whose lives are directly affected by Audi. For this reason, social engagement and corporate citizenship are a longstanding tradition at Audi, which the company puts into practice at all its production sites.

In 2023, Audi celebrated Social Day at all its production sites around the world. Under the motto “We live responsibility”, Audi employees volunteered in kindergartens, retirement homes, refugee charities, and organizations supporting people with disabilities, among other areas. All told, more than 80 projects took place on Audi Social Day. Around 1,000 employees from Audi’s production sites in Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm, Győr, Brussels, and San José Chiapa, as well as colleagues from Audi Business Innovation (ABI) in Munich and Audi Interaction (AIA) in Berlin and Potsdam participated.

Their involvement continues through supporting numerous other campaigns in the regions where Audi operates.

Global commitment

Audi’s second CSR commitment focuses on the global impact that the company can have. The aim is to tackle socially relevant challenges related to sustainable mobility and Audi’s broader value chain.

As part of its CSR strategy, Audi focuses on three strategic topics: “Electric Mobility & Digitalization”, “Circular Economy & Resources”, and “Green Energy & Infrastructure”. The company deliberately chose these areas to leverage its technologies, experience, infrastructure, and knowledge to achieve social progress. They also provide an opportunity for the company to learn from its project partners, creating a positive feedback loop in its business operations.

The goal is to build long-term partnerships and networks. Audi strives to create a broad knowledge base and empower people beyond the company’s boundaries. As part of its commitment to global impact, Audi places particular emphasis on social start-ups and scientific partnerships. These include student projects, public funding projects, final paper projects, the Audi PhD program, social sponsoring, social entrepreneurship, educational programs, and membership in sustainability initiatives. Audi places a regional focus on the Global South in all these efforts. Audi also aims to assume responsibility through social engagement in its international supply chain.

Since 2003, Audi, alongside the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, has supported endowed professorships for regular terms of five or six years, intending to make them permanent after that. Currently, one professorship is in procurement at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, and one is on AI methods in production at TH Ingolstadt. Audi also works with many German and international universities to help shape progress in research and education.

The Audi Environmental Foundation

The Audi Environmental Foundation was founded in 2009 by AUDI AG as a wholly-owned subsidiary. The foundation is part of the company’s work supporting social and environmental causes.

Since its founding, the Audi Environmental Foundation has promoted and supported numerous projects, including an international oak forest research project and projects on new recycling processes and developing a smart microplastic filter.