The Transparent Factory from Volkswagen is starting a new chapter, as six mobility teams begin the start-up incubator program in Dresden. The teams have 200 days to take their innovative ideas and develop mobility products or services that are ready for the market. Alongside Volkswagen mobility experts, the teams will be supported by Group It's Ideation:Hub as well as experts from the SpinLab—The HHL Accelerator of HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management—and with financial support from the state capital City of Dresden.

The startups in the Transparent Factory are experts in Big Data and evaluate traffic flow data in the urban area. They will plan the accelerated expansion of charging column installation, new car sharing models, the way in which navigation to free parking spaces will function, and which environmentally friendly solutions can be used to replace delivery traffic in the inner-cities. Each of the six startups has a concrete plan.

CarlundCarla from Dresden – corporate car sharing
CarlundCarla is already in business with its platform for the rental of commercial vehicles. Its new car sharing model includes fleet management: different customers have different requirements that can complement each other. In this way, the usage of the vehicles could be increased. The concept also provides an opening for private users.

Geospin from Freiburg – geographical Big Data analyses
The spinoff from the Smart City research group at the University of Freiburg evaluates user data and defines customer behavior in relation to geographical data. Using procedures such as deep learning and predictive analytics, Geospin draws up prognoses for optimal locations for various business ideas. In Dresden, the company wants to use navigation and movement profiles to identify optimal locations for charging stations or car sharing.

Smart City System from Nuremberg – parking space navigation
Smart City System is a startup developing a sensor system that, in real time, can identify the status of parking spaces and can navigate drivers to free spaces. The system will take the load off traffic, as parking space searches will no longer be necessary. In the incubator, the company is planning to further optimize its sensor system and to set it up in Dresden. This would also imply the digitalization of the parking areas in the capital city of the state of Saxony.

LoyalGo from Dortmund – charging columns with local advertising
The young entrepreneurs from LoyalGo are working together with local dealerships to promote the expansion of charging stations for electric vehicles. To this end, the company has developed the LoyalGo columns with screens, which are digital advertising columns that are financed by advertising. Using the digital bonus system LOYEES, which is already established in Dortmund, local dealerships can offer customer benefits. The company would now like to introduce the LoyalGo columns in Dresden.

Ekoio from Leipzig – smarter Co-Pilot IDA
Ekoio has developed a telematics solution that processes vehicle data based on secure data cloud technology—to reach conclusions regarding driving behavior, for example. A new development is the intelligent driving assistant IDA that will become active as soon as the driver uses the mobile telephone. The IDA can, in a fun way, reduce the use of mobile telephones during journeys and thus contribute to an increase in road safety. At the incubator, the company wants to find test customers and develop the IDA further.

Tretbox from Berlin – delivery tricycles with electro-drive
Tretbox was founded by car designer Murat Günak, and it is focused on the clean delivery of packages over the last mile into the city and residential areas. Instead of heavy transporters, Tretbox wants to offer a modern electro-tricycle with exchangeable containers for the package logistics sector. The firm wants to build a prototype in the Transparent Factory. The start-up is also hoping that it will gain support for the marketing of its product, which is planned to drive automatically in the future.

The Program

The teams will move into two floors of the Transparent Factory for six months—surrounded by the production line of the e-Golf. After three months, the teams will have to show their first results. If these are convincing, the startups will develop their ideas in Dresden until they are ready for the market. At the start of 2018, more teams will move into the factory. The incubator program is aimed at students and researchers interested in establishing new projects. An important part of the program is the financial support the teams will receive from Volkswagen Saxony: €15,000 ($18,000) each.

The Transparent Factory will also offer support from mentors and coaches; an attractive work environment in the factory; an IT infrastructure; contact with Volkswagen's researchers, developers, and decision-makers; advice from the Development Bank of Saxony (SAB); proximity to the start-up scene; and financial and personal support from the state capital of Dresden, with apartments, for example.