Volkswagen Group officially opened Future Center Asia, one of three such centres worldwide that will take a whole new approach to envisioning people’s mobility needs of the future and creating visionary solutions. “With these centres, we are breaking down the traditional barriers by bringing together exterior and interior designers, user experience experts and specialists for Artificial intelligence, Smart City, Start-up scouting and Engineering. Inspired by people we want to develop visionary products and services to give our customers a feeling of being home even when they are on the road”, says Jochem Heizmann, member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG as well as the President and CEO of Volkswagen Group China.
The new centre forms part of Volkswagen’s global network of three Future Centers, with Future Center Europe located in Potsdam, Germany, and Future Center California in Belmont, Silicon Valley. The Future Centers have been established in key regions to address the increasing regional differentiation in the mobility market and access best talent pools. Future Center Asia will provide mobility solutions specifically for the Chinese and Asian markets and ideas and concepts that also can be transferred to the world. The group-wide solutions will be integrated into our strong brands.
As a network, the three Future Centers act as global incubators for innovative ideas and as competence centres that bring together the creativity and the knowledge of the Group family. While Future Center California draws on influences from Silicon Valley and focuses on the best digital user experience, UX software and accessible mobility solutions, Future Center Europe mainly works on the development of future mobility concepts based on self-driving automobiles like SEDRIC, as well as overall vehicle design. Future Center Asia, meanwhile, works intensively on special design concepts for China and Asian markets. Strong exchange between all Centers will enable solutions from each to be transferred throughout the global markets.