Scouting for innovations: The Technology Trend Radar helps the BMW Group spot trends early, evaluate them for a specific purpose and develop them for series production. We work with start-ups, universities and research institutes to take innovative solutions from idea to reality – such as the BMW Panoramic Vision, which will make its debut in the Neue Klasse.
Spotting Trends, Shaping the Future.
What technologies will shape tomorrow’s mobility? How can we identify innovations early on and successfully adapt them? The BMW Group’s Technology Trend Radar has the answer: every year, we track down technological trends, evaluate their potential and develop them, ideally into market-ready solutions. This not only demonstrates our innovativeness and openness to new technologies, it also makes us the only car manufacturer worldwide to publish a Technology Trend Radar externally: since 2022 we have been offering valuable insights into promising developments in other industry sectors.
Innovating with a System: The Technology Trend Radar.
The BMW Group has been using the Technology Trend Radar to identify new technologies and test their relevance for the field of mobility for more than ten years. The focus is on three key criteria:
- Relevance for the mobility sector
- Speed of development
- Knowledge gap within the BMW Group
The Technology Trend Radar provides the basis for the practical testing and further development of innovative concepts. If their proof of concept is successful, the innovations move into predevelopment and ultimately into series production.
From Idea to Innovation: Successful Examples.
A shining example of successful technology transfer is the BMW Panoramic Vision. The technologies behind it were first identified in 2018 – by the Technology Trend Radar. After intensive development work, it is now ready for market launch and will make its debut later this year in the Neue Klasse. While developing the projection technology, the BMW Group filed a number of patent applications, offering further proof of its prowess in the field of innovation.
Other milestones include in-car gaming, on the Radar since 2020 and in series production since 2023, and ConnectedRide smart glasses, on the Radar since 2017 and on the market since 2023.
Open Access: Innovativeness through Collaboration.
The BMW Group leverages not only its own expertise but also that of the start-ups, universities and technology research agencies it works with. By working closely with our external partners, we can identify, evaluate and implement technologies faster and more efficiently. For many years the process has also been supported by scouts from our international technology offices in the US, Germany, Israel, Japan, Korea and China.
It’s this open access approach that makes the Technology Trend Radar so valuable, encouraging knowledge sharing, connecting experts within and outside the company, and creating valuable synergies. This further enhances the BMW Group’s ability to innovate and accelerates groundbreaking solutions for tomorrow’s mobility. The Technology Trend Radar is a key tool in strengthening our lead as a company and underlines our openness to future technologies. It ensures that the BMW Group not only identifies trends but actively shapes and embeds them within the organisation.
So, what are some specific examples? Check out the interactive Technology Trend Radar to discover the BMW Group’s vision for the future.
