Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0, which translates to “Workshop for the Future 4.0,” and Siemens Advanta, Siemens’ Business Unit for digital transformation consulting and implementation, are jointly exploring innovative technologies that span the customer journey in the field of automotive sales and after-sales. The aim is to develop new approaches for digital products and services in all areas related to connected electric vehicles and autonomous driving – and thus help shape the future of mobility.
The digital transformation of the automotive industry is progressing at an increasingly fast pace. As a result, the sector is facing new challenges and pressure to innovate. The Institute for Automotive Research (Insitut für Automobilwirtschaft – IfA) and Siemens Advanta see the digital transformation as a great opportunity to actively shape the future. This collaboration will focus on the impact that new functionalities have on the entire vehicle ecosystem, especially during the utilization phase. The “Workshop for the Future 4.0” will serve as a testing ground for exploring digital products and services and for driving their ongoing development. In addition, attractive revenue-generation opportunities in the form of forward-looking business models, such as “mobility-as-a-service” or “transportation-as-a-service,” will be developed and evaluated.
“Digitalization and increasing connectivity are rapidly changing the requirements for products and services,” says Philipp Grosse Kleimann, Senior Partner and Head of the Automotive & New Mobility Group at Siemens Advanta Consulting. “Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0 offers a promising platform for understanding these effects in a practical way and for creating innovative approaches together with our clients.”
Prof. Dr. Stefan Reindl, Managing Director at Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0 and CEO of the Institute for Automotive Research, is excited to welcome Siemens Advanta as a partner: “Digitalizing the processes used in car showrooms, designing new services based on digital elements and, last but not least, creating new customer touchpoints are all key components of our Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0 concept. That’s why we’re looking forward to working with Philipp Grosse Kleimann’s team.”
Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0 was initiated for the automotive industry by the steering committee of the Transformation Council for the Automotive Industry in the German state of Baden-Württemberg under the chair of Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, the state’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism. The IfA is responsible for the project. Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0, which is located in Esslingen near Stuttgart, serves as an “innovation showcase”. On 450 square meters of floor space, it provides a physical site that depicts the structures and processes of a car dealership in a practical way. More than 75 companies, including Mercedes-Benz, Bosch and Continental, as well as institutions from the field of politics, business, science and labor associations are already part of the partner network. Plans call for Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0 to open in the fall of 2021.
SOURCE: Siemens
