Business and politics are working closely together: Porsche, DB Schenker, and Lufthansa Cargo are helping Baden-Württemberg and the Free State of Saxony in Germany to overcome the coronavirus crisis. For this purpose, the sports car manufacturer has put together a task force with six employees from the Procurement department and is organising the supply chains of urgently needed protective equipment in China on behalf of the German federal state governments.

“Everyone is contributing their strengths in this joint effort and it is working extremely well. At the moment it is more than ever about getting involved, showing consideration for others and taking on responsibility – central values of our Porsche culture,” says Uwe-Karsten Städter, Member of the Executive Board for Procurement at Porsche AG. Oliver Seidl, Chief Financial Officer at DB Schenker: “In uncertain times, reliability, flexibility and full commitment are what count. We are pleased that we are able to maintain the supply chains for important medical products in cooperation with Porsche. Our own network in almost 140 countries is now paying off more than ever in ensuring the security of supplies for people.”

Together with Porsche and Lufthansa Cargo, DB Schenker is ensuring problem-free transport of protective masks, goggles and protective suits from Shanghai to Germany. Since 09 April, up to six aircraft a week have been flying from China for Baden-Württemberg and the Free State of Saxony. Directly after arrival at the airports in Frankfurt and Munich, the material is reloaded onto trucks and transported to an intermediate warehouse of DB Schenker at Stuttgart airport. Here, the state governments of Saxony and Baden-Württemberg take over distribution of the protective equipment so that it can be used to prevent the spread of coronavirus in hospitals, emergency services and other institutions.

Since the flights started, several million protective items, face masks of different protection classes, protective suits and protective goggles, have arrived at the intermediate warehouse in Stuttgart. By probably the end of May, protective materials with a value running into triple-digit millions of euros will have been organised and transported from China to Germany. That is equivalent in total to a volume of up to 50 passenger aircraft needed for transport.