Car Industry Puts Open Innovation in the Driving Seat
Whether it’s to create cutting edge technologies or peer into the future, design concept cars, greener cars, or special editions the automobile industry has enthusiastically embraced open innovation and the crowd.
Here are four examples of car brands turning to external sources of expertise to drive their innovation needs:
Volvo – the Swedish vehicle manufacturer is tapping into the wisdom of the crowd with its recently launched You Inside app.
It allows Volvo drivers to upload images of the items they keep in their car as well as details about the vehicle and their lifestyle.
From this Volvo will send them a personality profile based on what the vehicle says about them. The data the company collects will be used to help create new vehicles that are designed around people.
Progressive Automotive X Prize – a $10 million competition for greener cars that are friendlier to the planet and ease our reliance on oil. After 30 months of competition three vehicles emerged as winners and the teams behind them are now working to bring their concepts to market.
Project 818 – an open innovation contest held by American automobile company Factory Five to find a new design for its 818 sports car. Participants had to stick to a number of guidelines such as the car had to be a two-seater and completion costs had to be under $15,000. More than seven hundred ideas were submitted and a number of prizes were awarded. The new car should be on the market in 2015.
BMW’s Co-Creation Lab – this is a permanent platform where car enthusiasts and experts can submit ideas on the future of cars and driving, and co-create with BMW. The lab also hosts a number of innovation contests.
Reader Comments
In this age I wonder why no one had invented
a windshield with invisible heat to thaw frost
and ice like the rear window, no lines.
Posted by Jo Brooks on February 14, 2013
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