Research and development risk

The automotive industry is undergoing a radical transformation process. Multinational corporations like Volkswagen are facing major challenges in the areas of customer/market, technological advances and legislation. Key aspects are the implementation of increasingly stringent emission and consumption regulations, taking new test procedures and test cycles (e.g. WLTP) into account, as well as compliance with approval processes (homologation), which are becoming increasingly more complex and time-consuming and may vary by country.

The economic success and competitiveness of the Volkswagen Group depend on how successful we are in promptly tailoring our portfolio of products and services to the changing conditions in time. Due to the intensity of the competition and the speed of technological development, identifying relevant trends at an early stage and reacting accordingly is crucial.

We therefore conduct trend analyses, customer surveys and scouting activities among other things and examine the relevance of the results for our customers. We counter the risk that it may not be possible to develop modules, vehicles or services within the specified timeframe, to the required quality standards, or in line with cost specifications by continuously and systematically monitoring the progress of all projects and analyzing third-party industrial property rights, increasingly including in relation to communication technologies. We regularly compare this progress with the project’s original targets; in the event of variances, we introduce appropriate countermeasures in good time. Our end-to-end project organization supports effective cooperation among all areas involved in the process, ensuring that specific requirements are incorporated into the development process as early as possible and that their implementation is planned in good time.