InnoChallenge - Future Transportation@Vans, Daimler AG
“Shape the future of a digital and intelligent cargo space with us.”
What is the InnoChallenge all about?
Mercedes-Benz Vans has made the cargo space digital and intelligent. We have created something called the OLU, which is, in essence, IoT for the cargo space of a van, delivering data from the van that was not available before.
We invite startups to create solutions and shape the future with us, and to feed the cargo space with their applications!
What is OLU? 
OLU stands for Onboard Logic Unit, the intelligent combination of modern hardware and freely programmable software, sensor systems and data analytics. It opens the door to creativity and enables never-before solutions in the Van.
We are creating a platform based on OLU. We will give more details at the InnoChallenge.
What’s in it for a startup?
You can access data of a running vehicle – and not just vehicle data, but also, now, cargo space data.
You can run your code in a vehicle!
You will co-pioneer the new B2B2B Business services in Vans!
Potential extension of collaboration for PoC or even more; surprise us!
What’s in it for Mercedes-Benz Vans?
We want to facilitate innovation through our platform. With startups as innovation contributors, we want to provide new services to our end-users! The pie is large and mostly untapped, with enough to be made for all parties involved in creating value.
So, what will happen during the InnoChallenge?
The exact agenda is yet to be finalized, but we have a rough idea of what ground we would like to cover: we will start by introducing the topic as well as the OLU. We will provide some technical details, and a brief outline of the possibilities, although we will leave that quite high-level, so as not to bias the participants. After that, we will get into brainstorming mode, and end with sufficient time for storyboarding the ideas we generate.
We will provide two tracks – business and tech – for the participants to have spot-discussions with us. While they are thinking about potential applications, we will be available through these tracks to explain specifics, validate assumptions, etc.
Oh, and there will be pizza for lunch! Tummy happy, grey cells happy.
When is this planned?
10th October 2018 from 9 am to 12 noon (3 hours). That’s Day-3 of the new.New Festival. We will arrange for the transport of the participants from and back to the new.New Festival venue.
Whom should the startups bring to the InnoChallenge?
Max. 2-3 people per startup. It would be ideal if one representative each from business and tech would be present, to make maximum use of the two tracks we mentioned. We have space available for a total of 20-25 participants. First-come first-served!
Where will the InnoChallenge take place?
We will host the event at the Mercedes-Benz Vans InnovationLab in Stuttgart-Wangen (Hedelfinger Str. 60, Building 4B, 70327 Stuttgart).
How do interested parties contact you?
Simply send an email to OLU@daimler.com, and express your intent to participate, along with an indication of who will participate from your firm.
Future Transportation@Vans (Daimler AG)
The Future Transportation@Vans division of Mercedes-Benz develops and operates integrated system solutions for the transportation of goods and passengers, making targeted use of both current and future technological possibilities of digitization, automation and robotics.
Consistently aligned to industry and customer segments such as Last Mile Logistics, Service & Crafts or Shared Mobility & Transportation, innovative and disruptive solutions are driven forward in fast and agile development processes in order to enable leaps in efficiency and new business models along the entire value chain.
With two Innovation Hubs in Stuttgart and Silicon Valley, the Future Transportation@Vans division is internationally positioned and close to the pulse of start-up communities.
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