Introduction of Volkswagen Group Innovation by Daniel Töpfer
Driving Into the Future: VW’s Daniel Töpfer on Intelligent Mobility at TechRoad 2023 hosted by Mosaic Venture Lab
As an attendee at Taiwan’s seminal tech event, TechRoad 2023, glimpsing the future of mobility left me exhilarated. A highlight was the fireside chat between Volkswagen Group Innovation lead Daniel Töpfer and Managing Director Volker H. of Mosaic Venture Lab, one of the conference organizers.
Töpfer outlined VW Group’s global innovation ecosystem, the focus of their Tokyo hub, and why Taiwan and Japan are integral to their initiatives. His visions of software-defined, intelligent vehicles and autonomy in the 2030s reinforced VW’s charge in pioneering next-generation mobility.
Introducing Volkswagen Group Innovation
The VW Group Innovation team identifies emerging technologies worldwide for potential infusion into its brands, rather than directly commercializing ideas itself. Töpfer currently heads their Tokyo hub investigating Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese innovations.
He first clarified that while funded by VW Group, his division is intentionally separated from specific brands like Volkswagen, Audi, or Porsche. This distance allows objective assessments on innovations’ applications across VW’s differentiated brands.
Regional Focus — Gaming and Software
Regarding market focus, Töpfer explained Tokyo hub’s attention to gaming and software. Japan boasts world-class gaming firms adept at new interaction modes using augmented and virtual realities. With in-vehicle experiences becoming more immersive, gaming industry veterans make strong automotive partners.
Gaming also leads development of emerging display and interface technologies ultimately transferable to intelligent cockpits and autonomy. Töpfer believes tapping Japanese gaming innovation establishes VW Group’s lead in next-gen mobility experiences.
Software forms the second pillar of VW Group Tokyo’s focus. With vehicles evolving into “computers on wheels,” Töpfer described the need for developer-friendly vehicle platforms. By creating modular, upgradeable architectures, VW intends to spur innovation by global software talent well beyond their organization.
Töpfer outlined partnerships with Silicon Valley players to deliver toolkits and infrastructure easing coding of everything from infotainment apps to autonomous systems. Democratization of in-vehicle development will allow worldwide innovation to define automotive’s intelligent future.
Taiwan’s Strengths in Scaled Production
When probed on VW’s interest in Taiwan, Töpfer highlighted Taiwan’s unparalleled technology supply chain. He explained that while Japan delivers breakthrough innovations, bringing conceptual ideas into mass production readiness remains challenging.
That’s where Taiwan shines. Töpfer sees Taiwan nurturing embryonic technologies to cost-optimized, scaled manufacturing fruition. Combined with Japan’s innovation heritage in areas like e-mobility and intelligent systems, Taiwan completes an ecosystem driving development of VW’s next-generation vehicles.
The Cars of 2030 and Beyond
Moderator Volker further questioned Töpfer’s vision of mobility in coming decades. Töpfer foresees AI and generative computing enabling fully immersive experiences rivaling gaming and metaverse environments. Autonomy may also shift focus from pure transportation towards mobile entertainment hubs and family spaces.
Töpfer also discussed ambitions concepts for luxury autonomous cabins approaching business class comfort during longer duration trips. While constraints around cost and passenger comfort pose adoption barriers currently, the vision remains longer-term.
VW Group Innovation’s worldwide perspective perfectly complements regional strengths in Japan and Taiwan. With sights set on 2030 and beyond, VW seems poised to pioneer the software-defined, intelligent mobility era ahead.
About TechRoad 2023
Mosaic Venture Lab and Orbit Startups proudly present TechRoad 2023, a groundbreaking tech event in December 2023, in collaboration with NSTC and TTA. TechRoad 2023 spotlights Taiwan’s pivotal role in technology and explores the latest in semiconductors, AI, and mobility. Join us for keynotes, panels, and startup pitches, uniting industry leaders and visionaries. Our mission aligns with Taiwan’s vision for technological advancement and economic growth, making significant strides towards shared goals. Taiwan’s tech prominence shines through TechRoad 2023.
The platform is designed to extend exclusive invitations to distinguished professionals from Taiwan, specifically in the fields of semiconductors, automotive technology, and artificial intelligence. Its core objective is to establish a robust and enduring platform that facilitates interactions and encourages the exchange of emerging trends and cutting-edge technologies among these accomplished individuals.
About us — Mosaic Venture Lab
Mosaic Venture Lab, powered by Audi AG and Continental AG, is a product development-focused platform based in Taiwan. We have a strong focus on smart mobility — Mobility Services, Electrification, Human-Centric / New-data Driven Services, Sustainability, etc.
Text/ Jim Wu
Photo/ Mosaic Venture Lab, Orbit Startups
Cover Photo by YearOne on Unsplash
