Speed-Speed-Speed, Shift Left Next Gen, Radical Simplification

Despite many critical voices, I am convinced that the German automotive industry continues to have a strong future – if we consistently Leverage Our Strengths while remaining Open To New Best Practice.
Our industry has exceptional expertise: In-depth engineering know-how, quality that customers can experience firsthand, e.g. world-leading solutions in active and passive vehicle safety with the clear goal of accident-free driving. Important progress has also been made in the digital transformation of engineering in recent years.
At the same time, new approaches are emerging internationally from which we can learn. The Chinese automotive industry in particular has developed some real Game Changers – especially in terms of speed, efficiency, and innovation.

The following points provide a brief overview of topics and approaches that I have gained from
– 3 years of Working In China,
– 7 years as CIO R&D Mercedes-Benz,
– numerous Consulting Projects with China kontext, and
– my work as Guest Professor at JiangsuUniversity.

Radical Simplification
• Reduce complexity and variants (hardware, software, systems, committees)
• Move from countless individual elements to larger, modular logical objects
• Streamline end-to-end processes and the engineering toolchain
• Strengthen architecture thinking and module re-use

Speed-Speed-Speed
• Enable rapid decision-making (reduce committees by up to 90%)
• Target a 2-year product engineering process (PEP)
• Parallelize development processes wherever possible
• Encourage calculated risk-taking by R&D leaders
• Integrate suppliers much earlier into development

Shift Left Next Gen
• Digital-first development with minimal physical prototypes
• Early concept design and validation supported by AI
• Strong end-to-end ownership of systems and functions
• Next-generation AI in engineering
• Seamless simulation and validation environments

Software First 2.0
• Treat software development and integration as the core of the vehicle
• Move toward SDV 2.0 (Software Defined Vehicle)
• Focus relentlessly on functionality and customer experience

But beyond processes, methods and tools, soft factors are equally critical:
culture, mindset, leadership and communication.
For me, the most important lever remains:

Digital Courage