150 applications from various sectors were received for the "non-automotive" innovation competition. A jury of 20 renowned experts from the automotive industry, including innovation managers from Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, MAN, Mazda, Opel, Porsche and Volkswagen, evaluated the ideas.
Würzburg, June 11, 2007
The Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Michael Glos, will open the innovation vernissage of the first "Würzburg Automotive Summit" on June 15, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. in the Vogel Business Medien Congress Center. There, the best 30 applicants will present their ideas and concepts for innovative products and processes for use in the automotive industry.
A jury of 20 renowned experts from the automotive industry, including innovation managers from Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, MAN, Mazda, Opel, Porsche and Volkswagen, selected and evaluated the innovations from around 150 entries. "We can be very satisfied with the result," says Christian Schultze, Manager Advanced Technology Research at Mazda Europe and spokesperson for the jury. "It was good and right to set up this competition in this way," seconds Frank Köber, Innovation Manager at DaimlerChrysler Passenger Cars. For jury member Bernhard Hagemann from the VDMA (German Engineering Federation), it is particularly noteworthy that "small and medium-sized companies with little contact to the automotive industry have participated intensively".
One of the key criteria of the IW-NA innovation competition is that the ideas submitted must have already proven themselves in the non-automotive business. They must also demonstrate a high level of customer benefit or offer advantages in terms of environmental compatibility and have considerable transfer potential to the automotive industry. Background: The rapid implementation of customer-relevant innovations is a critical success factor for automotive manufacturers and their suppliers. Working in networks and thinking outside the box to other sectors and industries is a promising approach.
The "Würzburg Automotive Summit", which is taking place for the first time this year, differs from other events in the industry through "sofa talks", "marketplaces" and "experience circles", among other things. The goal corresponds to the leitmotif: "From ideas to projects."
The "Würzburg Automotive Summit" is organized by the Network of Automotive Excellence (NoAE) and the trade magazine "Automobil Industrie" from the specialist publisher Vogel Business Medien.
Representatives of the press are cordially invited to attend the "Würzburg Automotive Summit 2007". Please register using the attached form.
For further information:
Dr. Gunther Schunk
Editorial office "Automotive Industry"
Vogel Auto Medien
97064 Würzburg
Phone 0931/418-2525
Fax 0931/418-2915
E-mail: gunther_schunk@vogel-automedien.de
About NoAE
NoAE (www.noae.com) is a cross-company, open initiative with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness and future of the European automotive industry. NoAE was founded in 2002 by well-known personalities from the automotive industry with the support of the European Commission and is organized in project initiatives. NoAE is a supra-regional partner of Kompetenznetze Deutschland of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.
The "Würzburg Automotive Summit"
The NoAE (Network of Automotive Excellence) and Vogel Business Medien with the trade magazine "Automobil-Industrie" make a joint contribution to sustainably increasing the competitiveness of Germany as an industrial location and its automotive industry.
Further information can be found at: www.wuerzburger-automobil-gipfel.de
