Where The Future Goes Into Production: The Volkswagen Group's Think Tanks

February 27, 2017 by Volkswagen

◾A total of 37 competence centers and IT labs are already developing solutions for the mobility of the future – and that number is on the rise

◾Experts are working on forward-looking fields such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and mobility on demand

◾CEO Matthias Müller: 'Far removed from established structures, we are developing customized solutions for mobility of the future.'

Wolfsburg, 27 February 2017 – The future of mobility is emerging at the Golden Gate Bridge, at the Brandenburg Gate and near the Forbidden City: San Francisco, Berlin and Peking are among the locations where experts from the Volkswagen Group are meeting the challenges of the digital world. They are already currently developing self-driving cars, new mobility services and customized software solutions at 37 competence centers and IT labs throughout the world. And the number of think tanks will continue to increase.

Matthias Müller, Chief Executive of Volkswagen Group, says: 'Our industry is undergoing a profound change process. The Volkswagen Group is in the midst of transforming itself from an automobile manufacturer into one of the world's leading mobility companies. At our IT labs and competence centers far removed from established structures, we are developing customized solutions for mobility of the future. In doing so, we are embracing digitalization and consistently putting customers at the center of our work.'

The competence centers and IT labs are operated by the Volkswagen Group or its Group brands and are making great advances in important forward-looking fields such as artificial intelligence, integration, virtual reality and mobility on demand. Specialists also work with external partners on the development of new technologies. These experts come from other companies, from start-up ventures, universities and research organizations. Today there are already more than 2000 experts at the IT labs and competence centers in Europe, North America and Asia.

One of the most recent additions to the think tank family is the Metropolis:Lab Barcelona. A festive celebration in December sealed the collaboration of the SEAT Group brand with the Catalan metropolis. Beginning this year, specialists at the Metropolis:Lab Barcelona will develop apps and work on concepts related to intelligent and urban mobility.

You can find an overview of the worldwide IT labs and competence centers of the Volkswagen Group on the new Group website at https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/news/stories/2017/02/digital_labs.html.

New website for the Volkswagen Group www.volkswagenag.com brings you a wide range of information, reports, portraits and interviews all about the Volkswagen Group and its brands. The website also has a social media section with the latest tweets, posts and You Tube videos – the whole Group on one page. The new corporate website is completely responsive, so it is easy to access from mobile devices.

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About the Volkswagen brand: 'We make the future real'

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand is present in more than 150 markets throughout the world and produces vehicles at over 50 locations in 14 countries. In 2015, Volkswagen produced about 5.8 million vehicles including bestselling models such as the Golf, Tiguan, Jetta or Passat. Currently, 218,000 people work for Volkswagen across the globe. The brand also has 7,700 dealerships with 74,000 employees.

Volkswagen is forging ahead consistently with the further development of automobile production.

E-mobility, Smart mobility and the digital transformation of the brand are the key strategic topics for the future.