Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, BMW, Ford and Bosch have partnered with the SMMT to challenge ambitious SMEs and start-ups to devise innovative solutions and ideas to seven key mobility challenges (see below).
Those with the best solutions will be invited to pitch at the Future Mobility Challenge event in October, and if successful, will be able to negotiate a range of partnership propositions, from mentoring, ideas incubation and investment, to piloting, routes to market or acquisition.
Says SMMT chief Mike Hawes: “The Future Mobility Challenge provides the perfect opportunity for automotive industry leaders and innovative technology SMEs to collaborate. From data analytics and blockchain to the Internet of Things and health and wellbeing, we’re looking for innovators across the technology community to help automotive explore new horizons, appealing to the continuously changing demands of consumers. We are delighted to have on board such strong automotive brands and partners and are looking forward to what will be, I am sure, intense competition from innovative SMEs and start-ups.”
Start-ups and SMEs are invited to provide solutions to one or more of the following innovation opportunities:
1. Harnessing the potential of mobility data – creating customer value through, for example, seamless payments at fuel forecourts and chargepoints or integrated insurance services. |
2. Intelligent solutions for intelligent fleets – innovative solutions that go beyond existing telematics offerings, potentially helping operators to optimise fleets, reduce their environmental footprint or support drivers’ wellbeing. |
3. Urban mobility solutions for future cities – smart use of data to help tackle challenges such as congestion, parking and EV charging infrastructure constraints, or perhaps deliver integrated propositions to promote active mobility. |
4. Innovative shared and on-demand mobility models – solutions to identify and deliver new, flexible models of car ownership or sharing via a single platform to bring mobility to more people. |
5. Creating new and superior customer experiences in the age of hyper convenience – perhaps using augmented or virtual reality and remote services or blockchain solutions to deliver efficient business processes and premium and lifestyle customer propositions. |
6. New connected car services – unique solutions to unlock greater potential from connectivity such as location services, journey management or remote services including, for example, predictive maintenance. |
7. Future vehicle technologies – new solutions for everything from artificial intelligence and machine learning, to automated driving, glass and display technologies, audio, and battery management. |
SMEs and start-ups are encouraged to submit their interest to pitch solutions addressing one or more of the challenges by clicking here. The deadline for applications is 30 June and around 50 innovators will then be shortlisted and invited to pitch in closed sessions at the Future Mobility Challenge event at Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 17 October 2018.
IMAGE CREDIT: greenfinger on Morguefile.com
