Webasto and Young Companies at the "Startup Autobahn EXPO Day”

Munich / Stockdorf – February 13, 2020 – Webasto, one of the top 100 automotive suppliers worldwide, is represented for the fifth time with joint projects at the EXPO Day of the innovation platform "Startup Autobahn" in Stuttgart. On display are innovations from the areas of product development, automation and digitalization, which were developed in cooperation with several start-ups.

These include the “Roof Sensor Module”, which already was presented as a world premiere at the IAA 2019. This solution attractively integrates sensors and associated features into the roof of autonomous vehicles. The LiDAR sensors of the Start-Up “Blickfeld” are installed here. In addition, a prototype for a drive mechanism in the convertible roof including the chain technology “Link Drive” from the cooperation with "New Motion Labs" is presented. This new technology enables a more efficient power transmission, which allows greater design flexibility in the same installation space. Other pilot projects include testing of autonomously driven tires from the start-up “wheel.me” and cooperation with “Oculavis” on an AR remote support for maintenance specialists in the plants.

In addition, the start-up “Codepan” presents at the Alumni Pitch how established industrial companies and young organizations can work together successfully. Since 2018, their solution “Streem.ai” has been supporting Webasto engineers in test data analysis.

Webasto has been an anchor partner of “Startup Autobahn”, the German branch of the US “Plug and Play Tech Center”, since end of 2017. The innovation platform connects start-ups and established industry companies from mobility and digitization sectors. "Startup Autobahn gives us the unique opportunity to search for great ideas outside the Webasto world, find them and integrate them into our ecosystem", explains Matthias Arleth, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Webasto SE, and responsible for technology topics at the Webasto Group.

Due to the current coronavirus cases at Webasto, no employees are present at the EXPO Day. "I understand that people are insecure, and I would therefore like to emphasize that we will continue to deal with the issue in a careful and responsible manner", says Arleth. "We now need to get back to normal everyday life and focus primarily on securing our customer projects and supply chains".