About the BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world's leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

The goal of the department running this contest is to create innovations that leverage additional potential in existing services and business models or open up new, relevant business areas. Its tasks include evaluating trending services and service business models in the Mobility & Energy Services and Enabling Technologies field. This includes identifying market dynamics at an early stage, generating business model ideas, as well as evaluating and piloting them.

What is BMW searching for?

The scope of the contest is services. This means, that BMW is not searching for the newest trends in the automotive industry in general, but is really focusing on what services are provided on the market and what services seem to be relevant also in 2030. To make it a bit easier to follow: BMW is not searching for autonomous driving in general, but rather for the trend of a robo taxi service offering.

What do we mean by Mobility Services?

Regarding Mobility Services, BMW is focusing on ground-based mobility for up to five people, excluding aviation, shipping, and cargo. The target group of those services can be individuals and corporates, but also governmental organizations, always having people’s mobility in mind. Search fields include, but are not limited to new ownership models, fleet management and fleet logistics, services while being mobile, sharing cars with different groups, integrating cars into overarching mobility concepts, data-based services for the driver/fleet manager/government, the transformation of dealer services and sales processes, or vehicle-related services like parking, fueling, charging, tolling, etc.

What do we mean by Energy Services?

Regarding Energy Services, BMW is focusing on e-mobility and services that arise around electric vehicles. What service concepts are developing around charging stations and charging networks in public, corporate, and private areas? Also, services that can be consumed in or around the car while the vehicle is charging are relevant. What data is created and how is charging data turned into business models? Can you see trends or business opportunities in the smart home / smart charging space? What about the second life usage of automotive battery packs? Regulative limitations for e-mobility in the national and or local energy markets? Are battery electric cars the future or do you see other propulsion technologies coming that would enable different energy services? All these aspects are just examples, the range of trends in this area can be manifold.