A classic example that everyone is familiar with is the smart phone. It was introduced on the market more than ten years ago, but not by Nokia, the one-time industry driver for mobile phones. In fact, it was Apple that leveraged its expertise in software and re-invented the mobile phone as an internet-capable application platform now known as the smart phone.
We in the automotive industry are currently experiencing just such a disruptive change. It is being driven by two technology trends: The first is electromobility. The all-electric drive considerably reduces the complexity of the vehicle drive system and has opened up the market to new suppliers. We have been seeing this for several years in China where new automobile manufacturers are exclusively producing electric cars in relevant quantities. At the same time, the importance of the battery-charging infrastructure necessary for electromobility requires a strong understanding of networked mobility. The second and most important current technology trend is autonomous driving. Though it evolved, in part, from the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) developed by automobile manufacturers, it is expected to lead to new kinds of vehicles and business models. These will have less and less to do with the traditional business of manufacturers over time. This, in turn, will have feedback effects on technological requirements.