The Metaverse is the next iteration of the internet: a single, shared, persistent, immersive, 3D virtual space where humans experience life in ways they could not in the physical world. The Supplierthon will empower applicants to bring their innovative and visionary ideas for the Metaverse to life. Experts from the BMW Group have identified challenges in three different areas (for details see below): Vehicle Readiness, In-Car Experience and Virtual Ecosystems. The BMW Group believes that virtual experiences could make a significant difference by strengthening the entire customer experience and the product substance and could have an impact on the whole automotive industry in the future.
Registration has begun and the first deadline for submission is March 15, 2023. The ideas that are submitted will be examined and judged by a panel of experts who will select the finalists. They will proceed to the second round, where the ideas will be developed further to produce real business solutions by May 10, 2023. The second round will end with a pitch event where the finalists will present their solutions to a panel of experts before the winners are selected on May 24, 2023. The winners will have the opportunity to partner with the BMW Group and will also be involved in the implementation of pilot projects.
The BMW Group is a pioneer when it comes to virtualization and is now taking one step further
The Supplierthon for the “Metaverse and other Virtual Experiences” highlights the fact that the BMW Group is playing a leading role in efforts to bring the next level of digitalized human interaction to life. The BMW Group is generating value by consistently developing greater interaction and more immersive experiences using XR1 and Web 3.0, building on a vivid landscape of use cases, some of which are already connected, along the entire value chain. To ensure that its solution is coherent, the BMW Group is currently developing a strategic, centralized Metaverse Platform.
In December 2022, the company became one of the first automotive manufacturers to join the Metaverse Standards Forum. The company takes a holistic approach across three strategic dimensions: a Corporate Metaverse, a Commercial Metaverse and an In-Car Metaverse, as recently demonstrated by the BMW i Vision Dee vehicle and its Mixed Reality Slider, which was presented at the CES in Las Vegas. The Metaverse Supplierthon will focus only on in-car use cases.
“From our perspective, our industry is in the process of a step by step transformation, shifting human experiences into a virtual world driven by the metaverse.” says Rudi Bencker, Senior Vice President Global Research, Tech Offices and Development Cooperations.
“With this Crowd Innovation Challenge we want to take the next step and invite the global metaverse community to share their innovative and visionary approaches within the Metaverse spectrum.” says Florian Weig, Senior Vice President Purchasing and Supplier Network Digital.
Specific Challenges for the Metaverse Supplierthon
2 Augmented Reality (AR) describes the computer-aided extension of reality perception.
3 Virtual Reality (VR) is the representation and simultaneous perception of an apparent reality and its physical properties in a real-time computer-generated, interactive virtual environment.
4 Mixed Reality (MR) comprises environments or systems that mix natural and artificial perception.
