Motivated by next-gen motoring
The automotive industry is facing fast and disruptive technological changes. Both OEMs and suppliers are under increasing pressure to adapt in light of the digital transformation and the new era of mobility. Trends such as new mobility services, connected and autonomous driving, the sharing economy or electric mobility, create opportunities for new players including finance-strong tech giants from the US and China.
Autonomous cars generate significant amounts of data. This big data needs to be taken care of and used for new business models and personalised services while maintaining users' privacy. There will be a fight for big data and the relevant question is: "who owns the data?". The Automakers have noticed the turn of the tide. They develop themselves from mere producers of cars to providers of mobility. Several OEMs have successfully launched car sharing concepts based on their specific brands. The next step will involve intermodal solutions that combine different means of transport in an intelligent manner.
The vision of zero-emission cars is the driving force behind the development of electric cars. Due to political pressure the proportion of electric cars will continue to increase. However, the combustion engine will stay on the market for the foreseeable future, not least because neither the battery technology needed for long-range drives or the battery-charging infrastructure are available yet. In addition the share of electricity gained by renewable energies has to be increased too.
The greatest risk factor in road traffic is, and always will be, the human being. This is why both connected and autonomous driving aim at replacing this risk behind the steering wheel in the long run. This will change the driving experience dramatically, but there is still a long way to go until users fully accept it. Autonomous drive will also open space for new sales channel. When the driver of a car is not concentrating on the traffic, the car will become a new shopping platform with big potential for new revenue streams.
A further challenge for the automotive industry is the increasingly tough battle for the best managers and talents in the ICT and technology industry. As so many industries rapidly digitalise, a growing number of companies are directly competing to attract workers with the same skill sets and there is a need for much more non-automotive profiles within OEMs and suppliers. But the automotive industry no longer appeals to the generation of millennials as much as it did to earlier generations, rather it is perceived as old-fashioned and innovation-poor compared to IT companies such as SAP, Apple or Google. Given the sometimes gaping differences in attitudes towards work and motivation factors between the baby boomers, generation X and the millennials, young talents tend to seek the company of the like-minded. That does not make the search any easier for automotive companies.
For over 20 years we have provided the Automotive sector with professional management consulting in a number of areas:
Mercuri Urval is present at every major technology and motor show – from the CES in Las Vegas at the start of the year to the NAIAS in Detroit, the International Motor Show in Geneva, the motor shows in Peking and Shanghai as well as the annually alternating fairs in Frankfurt and Paris. Furthermore, Mercuri Urval appears at numerous congresses related to the automotive industry and is sponsor of the "Rising Stars Award" of the magazine Automotive News Europe.
Our team of capable consultants have executed projects in 60 countries so far; among them countries where we have no physical office, such as South Korea, Japan, Mexico and South Africa.
Mercuri Urval is working very closely with companies in the Automotive Industry (OEMs, Tier1, Tier2, Retail and Service) and has deep expertise in the following areas: Connectivity, Autonomous Car, Electric Drive, Sharing Mobility, Digitalisation, Powertrain, Interior, Exterior, Emission Controls, Safety Systems, Chassis, Infotainment and Wiring Harness amongst others.
MU is delighted to announce the launch of the Advanced Air Mobility Competence Centre, addressing a critical leadership need in this emerging industry sector.