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-creation chains Sustainability and responsibility Skills management in procurement 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. This approach ensures that Group procurement strategies, methods and tools are advanced in line with current parameters and market conditions. The principal academic research partner is the Institute of Business Administration (BWI) at the University of Stuttgart. With regard to its teaching activities, the IFB offers further training programmes, seminars and lectures on issues of relevance to procurement and relating to the above research areas. Its primary competence partner with respect to teaching programmes is the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences.