Mar 8, 2018
Porsche and the German Startups Association: Why we work together
I’m delighted to be able to share some exciting news with you all: Porsche is now an official supporting member of the German Startups Association [Bundesverband Deutsche Startups e.V.].
With over 750 startups, it’s one of the most important networks for bringing together founders, investors and corporations here in Germany. We are proud to now be part of this and are looking forward to exciting new contacts, dialogue and, of course, innovative business models and discussions on modern technologies.
The German Startups Association is committed to establishing a founder-friendly Germany, supporting entrepreneurs and establishing a startup-mentality in society — things that are important to us here in the Porsche Digital Lab and that are part of our culture and modus operandi. My colleague Mahdi Derakhshanmanesh recently listed 10 things he learned about this here.
Our work in the Open Space Lab in Berlin is flexible and agile. Yes, we have a corporate background, but we also have plenty of startup spirit, as it were. This is not least thanks to our work with young founders, who also regularly take part in our First Tuesday event format.
What do we want to achieve together?
We want to work with founders to develop new solutions in the fields of blockchains, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber security and mobility — on equal footing with our internal experts here in the lab. And of course with Porsche AG behind us as a reliable partner who first and foremost make it possible to scale solutions and bring them to market more quickly. A win-win situation and fertile ground for innovative technologies — as shown by these examples of previous, successful startup collaborations:
1. Blockchains on the road: I recently reported about this in another article: In cooperation with the Berlin startup XAIN , Porsche is the first ever automobile manufacturer to implement and successfully test blockchain in a car. The car becomes part of the blockchain, making a direct offline connection possible — that is, without diversion through a server. Taking 1.6 seconds, opening and closing the car via an app is up to six times faster than before.
2. Park like a king! The age of parking meters is over. Don’t just drive it like a Porsche — park it like a Porsche ;-) In cooperation with evopark, Porsche is offering a brand-new solution that is integrated into the vehicle: “Parken Plus”. This parking service can now be used in 28 German cities and 84 partner car parks across Germany. In future, Porsche customers will be able to drive into and out of car parks without stopping — the barriers will open automatically without a paper ticket and parking fees will be billed once a month. Integration into the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) functionality in the new Cayenne also enables the direct navigation to partner car parks. The customer can see the nearest partner car parks and their availability, prices and opening times in the PCM.
More and more everyday processes are being automated for increased efficiency, convenience, security and productivity — a decisive step towards a digital lifestyle.
3. Porsche on demand: You drive to work in the morning in the Cayman S, in the evenings you take your family out to dinner in the Macan: Porsche Cars North America is testing the Porsche Passport, which provides members with on-demand access to up to 22 different Porsche models. Porsche Cars North America is testing the Porsche Passport as part of a pilot program. It provides members flexible access to Porsche vehicles via a mobile app. This month-to-month subscription programme allows for frequent vehicle exchanges, unrestricted mileage, and on-demand access to up to 22 different Porsche models. Together with business partner Clutch Technologies, LLC, the Porsche Passport will first be put through a pilot program in Metro Atlanta, which is home to both companies.
4. Smart living re-imagined: Have you connected your Porsche to your smart home? That is exactly what Porsche Digital and Home-iX are implementing. The innovative smart living solution links together your home, vehicle, mobile devices and digital assistants. It can be controlled centrally — both from home and on-the-go. More and more everyday processes are being automated for increased efficiency, convenience, security and productivity — a decisive step towards a digital lifestyle.
Thanks to our cooperation with the German Startups Association, we will certainly be soon able to tell you about exciting new developments that we couldn’t even dream of today. I can’t wait!
More examples and information about the digital transformation at Porsche can be found at the Porsche Newsroom, on the Porsche Digital Lab social media channels on Twitter and LinkedIn as well as on our Medium blog.
