Zug, Switzerland. LKQ Europe is opening a new Innovation and Service Center in Katowice in mid-2021. The new center in Poland will act as a catalyst for the Company’s innovation and digitalization strategy. This center will enable LKQ Europe to offer innovative digital products and solutions to its customers while strengthening cost competitiveness and process efficiencies. Our digital team in Poland will soon start creating an innovative digital hub to develop European-wide solutions for a state-of-the-art customer experience. LKQ’s team members throughout Europe will drive forward the Company’s digital agenda and enable digitalization and innovation. They will have a tremendous impact on the road towards the Aftermarket of the future.

From this year on, digital, IT and administrative operations will be also carried out by LKQ experts in Katowice. In the medium term, the site will have approximately 200–250 employees. The recruitment process started in April 2021.

“The establishment of the Innovation and Service Center in Katowice will boost LKQ Europe’s innovation and digitalization strategy. The city of Katowice offers an outstanding infrastructure and international talent. I am delighted that LKQ will be part of Katowice’s success story. We are seeking the most qualified people and offer them an international working atmosphere and a unique business experience to support our customers across Europe, today and in the future,” says Arnd Franz, CEO of LKQ Europe.

“We are very pleased that LKQ chose the city of Katowice for their new Innovation and Service Center and that our city gained another strong corporate partner that is committed to investing in our city and community. The Company's choice has confirmed our strong position as a center for modern business services. This decision was motivated by the access to professionals, our growing office market and by the fact that the city is easily accessible by plane, road and train. The presence of another well-known brand in Katowice will reinforce the city's position on the investment map of Europe,” says Marcin Krupa, Katowice City Mayor.

Katowice – a city that is transforming from an industrial past to a digital future – offers a highly attractive working environment for digital natives and highly qualified employees. The LKQ Innovation and Service Center will be located centrally in the downtown district of Katowice, a vibrant spot that will support LKQ’s dynamic development and business performance as a market leader in innovation and new technologies. The Katowice facility comes in addition to LKQ’s already very successful established operations in Bangalore, India. With Katowice and Bangalore, LKQ will be able to develop future technologies for even more innovative services for its customers.

About LKQ Europe

LKQ Europe, a subsidiary of LKQ Corporation, with its head office in Zug, Switzerland, is the leading distributor of automotive aftermarket parts for cars, commercial vans and industrial vehicles in Europe. It currently employs approximately 26,000 people with a network of 1,000 branches and approximately USD 5.5 billion in revenue in 2020. The organization supplies around 100,000 independent workshops in over 20 European countries. The group includes Euro Car Parts, Fource, RHIAG Group, Elit, Auto Kelly, and STAHLGRUBER Group, as well as recycling specialist, Atracco. LKQ also holds a minority interest in Mekonomen Group.