CES 2021: ZF sees the car as a mobile data carrier

From hardware to software or "middleware": According to ZF, data will primarily make future mobility more efficient, safer, and more comfortable for everyone. Therefore, with the "Data Venture Accelerator," the Friedrichshafen-based company is further expanding its range of data-based solutions. This has already become evident in recent years when they presented their own high-capacity chips or autonomous driving examples at CES. Another foundation is the experiences in truck and trailer telematics as well as in wind energy, where ZF already possesses data-based business models. With the new tool, the automotive supplier aims to accompany and accelerate product developments that have proven their feasibility and added value—from initial implementations to mature data products. The goal of the new Data Venture Accelerator is to turn promising approaches into profitable business models. Dr. Dirk Walliser, Senior Vice President Corporate Research & Development, Innovation and Technology, explains:

"ZF can already showcase successes in the development of value-creating digital and data initiatives. We now want to expand these approaches into scalable business models."

With the Data Venture Accelerator, the company is implementing such initiatives faster into concrete digital products and service offerings. Background: As more and more components in vehicles are equipped with sensors and thus become "smart" components, the vehicles themselves generate large data sources. This data can help make mobility safer, more efficient, and more comfortable. And from this, ZF wants to generate new business models to make this data economically usable for customers. This should also create added value for end consumers and a new business field for ZF.

The Data Venture Accelerator consists of three main elements. In the "Speedboats" venture, independent, multidisciplinary teams are assembled to bring data-based solutions and business models to market faster. The ventures are run like start-up companies and managed with a venture capital-like philosophy. Additionally, there are the "Data Business Centers of Excellence" (CoE). They are made up of experts who ensure that each of the "Speedboats" has the right tools available and that defined processes and methods are adhered to and applied. As a third component, there is a joint market team of ZF product specialists and market experts for the business with data-based solutions, who work together to fulfill the wishes and needs of existing and new customers.

What does this mean?

Recently, instead of slow airships, fast "Speedboats" are now launching in Friedrichshafen - but not over Lake Constance, rather at ZF, where the company is trying to use vehicles as data sources to generate new software services in the future. They have already gained some initial experience with this in telematics services in the commercial vehicle sector.