Innovations Welcome. BMW Group Launches VIA 2.0 The Virtual Innovation Agency of the BMW Group is the online platform for people with ideas - new functions have now been added

Munich. The BMW Group has revised its unique open innovation platform, called
the Virtual Innovation Agency, or VIA for short, and has added a number of new
functions (www.pioneering-innovation.com). This website offers all interested
parties the opportunity to present their ideas to the BMW Group. In addition, a
number of different topics can also be discussed online.

Launched as early as 2001, the Virtual Innovation Agency sees itself as the
interface between external innovation sources and the developers at the BMW
Group. This means that all ideas, concepts and patents for new technologies
that could be used by the BMW Group in its products in the short, medium or
long term can be submitted online. The platform is open to everyone - from
private individuals and research institutions to small and large businesses.
"Openness to new topics and cooperation in partnerships are an essential
prerequisite for keeping our innovation pipeline well filled. We see this as
the key to the long-term success of our premium brand strategy," explains Horst
Reichl, responsible for technology and innovation management and the instigator
behind the new-look platform.

Since launching the first version of the VIA, the BMW Group has received 800
ideas per year on average. The implementation quota may seem low, with an
average of one idea per year, however each of these implemented ideas is
extremely important for the company - the effort is worthwhile. Here's just one
example: a BMW driver from dreamt up a process for weaving carbon fibers. His
submission to the VIA eventually went into serial production in the BMW M3 CSL.
This process helped reduce weight in the central console and thus helped the
car to go from 0 to 100 in less than five seconds. However, many of the ideas
are already familiar within the company, are not suitable for the BMW Group or
are impossible to implement. And sometimes developers also receive unexpected
ideas: for example a shaman proposed to protect all vehicles against theft by
placing a curse on them at the end of the production line.

Statistics show that the VIA draws its ideas from all over the world. However,
it has also been evident that the target group of small and medium-sized
companies only represented a small proportion of the submissions - most ideas
came from private individuals. Filter and structuring functions for submitters
were among the items on the wish list for revision as well. The new version of
the innovation agency enables many of these aims and other ideas to be
implemented: an ideas forum is available for suggestions and evaluations, while
system-generated profiles make it easier to describe the sometimes complex
ideas. For their part, BMW Group developers can open up current issues for
discussion online. In addition there are also extended search and filter
solutions.

Thus the BMW Group promotes the establishment of a cross-industry, worldwide
network of experts. In particular, VIA offers "business" and "science" users
from small and medium-sized businesses and research institutes and universities
the opportunity to submit their ideas directly to the BMW Group. Users first
have to register on the website and form a cohesive innovation platform in the
so-called Ideas Forum, in which communication can take place in accordance with
Web 2.0. "We have extremely competent engineers, who are at the top of their
profession worldwide. However, these days we can no longer assume that all
technical expertise will be available at such a high level internally. That's
why looking outside for ideas, solutions and cooperative partners is an
important step that will enable us to remain innovation leaders into the
future," explains Alexander Stern, project manager for VIA 2.0.