Procurement refers to all activities aimed at providing a company with the goods it requires but does not produce itself. These include raw and auxiliary materials, fuels, semi-finished and finished products as well as equipment, systems and services. The goal is to provide these intermediate inputs in the required form, quantity and quality and at the right time, in the right place and at the right price. The Institute for Procurement (IFB) consolidates all of the Volkswagen Group's scientific activities in the area of procurement. Its key remit areas are the transfer of academic know-how to the Volkswagen Group, coordination of the doctoral programme for research into procurement and the development of specialist academic training programmes. Current mega-trends such as increasing globalisation, shortages of natural resources and growing ecological awareness necessitate a methodical strategic approach to procurement. In the light of this requirement, research by the IFB prioritises the following areas in particular: Development of OEM supplier relationships Risk management Stability in global value chains Sustainability and responsibility Competence management in procurement The principal academic research partner is the Institute of Business Administration (BWI) at the University of Stuttgart, and in particular Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ulli Arnold, Academic Director of the IFB. In conjunction with the research projects being carried out via the IFB, current procurement issues are analysed from a scientific/theoretical perspective and concrete solutions developed by means of doctoral theses that tie in closely with industrial practice. This approach ensures that Group procurement strategies, methods and tools are advanced in line with current parameters and market conditions. Doctoral theses are currently being prepared on the following topics: Supplier integration in SOP processes Offshore sourcing in the car industry Competence development in procurement management Development of a strategic raw materials management system Preferred customers Sustainability in supplier relationships New approaches in supplier relationship management Modular strategy in procurement With regard to its teaching activities, the IFB offers further education programmes, conferences and lectures on issues of relevance to procurement and relating to the above research areas. Its competence partners with respect to teaching programmes include the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences in Wolfsburg.