BROCKVILLE, Ontario -- Pricedex Software Inc., a provider of product information management software systems for the automotive aftermarket, is partnering with a team of graduate students from the University of Ottawa Executive MBA program to investigate the scope, scale and needs of the emerging aftermarket in Eastern Europe.

The program’s objectives are to create linkages with, and understand the needs of European aftermarket manufacturers, including divisions of North American companies with a European presence. The team will also be investigating European aftermarket product information exchange standards, European manufacturer and supply chain readiness for e-commerce, and the interoperability of the European Common Aftermarket Protocol (CAP) standards with the North American PIES and ACES standards.

The focus of the students’ investigations will be in Poland, where there is a growing aftermarket and a significant level of foreign investment activity by vehicle manufacturers and by automotive suppliers for production of both OE and aftermarket parts and components.

“Poland is the focal point of the study because of its rapidly expanding automotive industry,” said Terry O’Reilly, president and CEO of Pricedex. “Since becoming a member of the EU last May the country’s automotive industry - particularly its aftermarket -- has enjoyed explosive growth.

“The country’s aftermarket growth is due to mainly to the mandatory inspection of its 11 million passenger car fleet, and the growing number of used cars imported into the country each year. Poland’s used car population now exceeds 1 million vehicles averaging eight years old, and more than half of its existing car parc was produced at least six years ago which has created a huge demand for replacement parts and services. This dynamic market makes Poland an ideal environment for the University study.”

Poland is a strategic location for the automotive sector, given its geography, its labor pool, its traditional economic relationship with Eastern Europe and Russia and its rapid accession to the European community.

According to the U.S. State Department, there were 316,000 new cars sold in Poland in 2004 and the number of passenger cars on the road is expected to grow to 15 million by 2010.

New car production is also increasing. In 2003, more than 330,000 cars were manufactured in Poland, while last year the number increased to 482,000 vehicles. Fiat is the largest producer (58 percent), followed by GM-Opel (22 percent) and Volkswagen (11 percent). Eighty percent of the vehicles produced in Poland are exported.

For more information, go to: www.pricedex.com.

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