Open Innovation Challenge by Group Production and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles produces a wide range of products for commercial and private customers. For commercial use the vehicle has to offer many features that make it easy for example to carry a maximum payload. There is a similar variety of needs for private users to make life easier. These include smart solutions for everyday family life, such as stowing groceries or preparing for the family vacation. Commercial and private customers may use their vehicles in vastly different ways but new innovative functions can make everyday life easier for both user groups. New concepts are designed to help customers make vehicle ownership and use easier, more convenient and more efficient. New ways of storing and organizing tools, packages, luggage and family items are at the focus of attention. Each of these use cases could benefit from new features that are affordable, modular, and easy to install.
As a result, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles launched an Open Innovation Contest with a focus on novel ideas and concepts for new as well as affordable features. The solutions should be easy to install and transferable between vehicles and into different vehicle types. Examples of areas of interest included the following: Service and Mobile Workshops, Construction and Forestry, and Craftsmen, Couriers and Logistics, Commercial Passenger Transport Private Customers Families, Travelers and Campers.
At the end of the contest, 120 ideas were submitted by creatives across 74 countries. The ideas were evaluated based on the following criteria: creativity, feasibility, easy to use, flexibility as well as added customer value. After an internal jury evaluation, three winning ideas were selected.