BMW Logo BMW Logo
DE
News Media Careers
Search
BMW Logo BMW Logo
News Media Careers
dummy
Overview
BMW Shares
Ad hoc & other Capital Market Notifications
Debt & Ratings
Company Reports
Corporate Events
Annual General Meetings
BMW Group Annual Conferences
Telephone Conferences
Contact Persons
Overview
Circular Economy & CO₂ Reduction
Supplier network & Raw Material Management
Respect for people and the environment
Employees
Society
Overview
Automated Driving
Artificial Intelligence
Connected Car
Concept Cars & Design
Overview
Corporate Strategy
Neue Klasse
Brands & Business Segments
Production
History
Locations
Dialogue
Advocacy
Compliance
Overview Innovation Network
Tech Offices & IT- and Software-Hubs
Technology Trend Radar
BMW Group Startup Garage
BMW Open Innovation
Overview Drive Technologies
Renewable Fuels
Electric Drives
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology
Leadership & Governance
Board of Management
Supervisory Board
Corporate Governance
BMW electric car with camouflage foil drives on a snowy road at sunset.
Company 05.03.2026 3 MIN
Final tests for the new BMW i3 and the Heart of Joy at the Arctic Circle.
Two-part image showing BMW Group crash testing: the upper half depicts a real BMW SUV undergoing a physical impact test, while the lower half presents a virtual crash simulation that demonstrates hybrid homologation.
Innovation 06.02.2026 4 MIN
Hybrid homologation of the future: Why the BMW Group is in the fast lane.
Sustainable materials: Fishing nets/ropes, shredded fishing nets/ropes, granulate made from 100 percent fishing nets/ropes, compounds, PET bottles, PET flakes, granulate made from 100% PET bottles, thread
Sustainability 28.08.2025 5 MIN
The all-new BMW iX3 – The first model of the Neue Klasse.
News
Media
Careers
Overview
BMW Shares
Ad hoc & other Capital Market Notifications
Debt & Ratings
Company Reports
Corporate Events
Annual General Meetings
BMW Group Annual Conferences
Telephone Conferences
Contact Persons
Overview
Circular Economy & CO₂ Reduction
Supplier network & Raw Material Management
Respect for people and the environment
Employees
Society
Overview
Overview Drive Technologies
Renewable Fuels
Electric Drives
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology
Automated Driving
Artificial Intelligence
Connected Car
Concept Cars & Design
Overview Innovation Network
Tech Offices & IT- and Software-Hubs
Technology Trend Radar
BMW Group Startup Garage
BMW Open Innovation
Overview
Leadership & Governance
Board of Management
Supervisory Board
Corporate Governance
Corporate Strategy
Neue Klasse
Brands & Business Segments
Production
History
Locations
Dialogue
Advocacy
Compliance
BMW electric car with camouflage foil drives on a snowy road at sunset.
Company 05.03.2026 3 MIN
Final tests for the new BMW i3 and the Heart of Joy at the Arctic Circle.
Two-part image showing BMW Group crash testing: the upper half depicts a real BMW SUV undergoing a physical impact test, while the lower half presents a virtual crash simulation that demonstrates hybrid homologation.
Innovation 06.02.2026 4 MIN
Hybrid homologation of the future: Why the BMW Group is in the fast lane.
Sustainable materials: Fishing nets/ropes, shredded fishing nets/ropes, granulate made from 100 percent fishing nets/ropes, compounds, PET bottles, PET flakes, granulate made from 100% PET bottles, thread
Sustainability 28.08.2025 5 MIN
The all-new BMW iX3 – The first model of the Neue Klasse.
DE
Search
Contact

BMW Open Innovation.

Page Overview
The text “BMW Open Innovation” in large, white letters on an image showing the front view of a BMW iX3 in dark color on a road, with blue sky and clouds in the background.

BMW Group Open Innovation is driven by one clear vision: to be the world’s best Corporate Entrepreneurship Unit. Everything we do is measured against four concrete deliverables:

  • Attractiveness for innovators — we curate programs that make startups, researchers, cross‑industry partners, and BMW intrapreneurs feel at home and heard.
  • Impact for BMW Group — every project is tied to business‑relevant KPIs and moves the needle for our brands, products, and processes.
  • Sustainability — economic and ecological: proofs of concept must create enduring value for people, planet, and profit.
  • 80/20 portfolio rule — about 80% of projects accelerate current BMW Group priorities with internal partners, while 20% explore bold Horizon 3 breakthroughs.

By combining user‑centric co‑creation with this disciplined mix, we connect the right partners, leverage collective strengths, and deliver market‑ready solutions — securing innovation leadership for the BMW Group and everyone who builds with us.

BMW Crowd Innovation.

The BMW Crowd Innovation Platform enables innovators to tap into the swarm intelligence of internal and external innovation crowds.

The main feature of the platform is the idea management: new ideas and technical solutions for solving current and future problems can be submitted and managed.

We regularly launch challenges: calls for ideas across the BMW Group, focused on strategically relevant topics. Both internal and external innovation communities are invited to submit their ideas, while the entire crowd is encouraged to contribute and enrich them. Today, the platform connects a global community of around 45,000 registered users!

Infografik mit vier Kästen, die verschiedene Strategien zur Ideenfindung und Entscheidungsfindung darstellen. Jeder Kasten hat einen Titel und kurze Beschreibungen.

What is the Crowd Innovation Platform about?

Users submit ideas to BMW Group and help drive their implementation. The crowd refines ideas through comments, votes, and shared expertise. Experts evaluate and advance promising ideas to the appropriate decision-making committee. Implementation teams can be staffed from the crowd based on needed skills. Users can launch challenges for targeted solutions or search the idea database for matches.

Our Drive.

The BMW Crowd Innovation Team is committed to strengthening BMW’s position as a leading innovator in the automotive industry. Every innovation begins with an inspiring idea from the right person, supported by the right people to bring it to life. That’s exactly what we aim to facilitate through the Crowd Innovation Platform.

We believe that great ideas don’t come only from within, sometimes, the best solutions are found outside BMW Group. Collaboration is key to tackling big challenges, whether in mobility or beyond.

Past Challenges.

Quantum Computing Challenge

BMW Group’s Quantum Computing Challenge exemplifies the power of collaboration and innovation in tackling complex industrial problems. Partnering with AWS, the challenge encourages startups and researchers to develop and test quantum algorithms for high-impact areas such as optimization, materials research, and automated driving. This initiative demonstrates how leveraging quantum technologies can unlock new solutions and drive future advancements in the automotive industry.

All about the Metaverse

With the BMW Group Supplierthon 2023 we made an important contribution to In-Car metaverse activities within the BMW Group, scouting for the best partners worldwide and finding new Metaverse-related ideas and solutions. Suppliers were invited to develop innovative, forward-thinking ideas to explore how to merge the physical and digital worlds by preparing our vehicles for future demands and creating an exciting, immersive in-car experience for our customers.

BMW Incubator.

The BMW Incubator is a dynamic program designed to turn ideas and business models into reality. It offers the tools, expertise, and space that innovators need to transform their concepts into innovative, customer-focused pilot projects.

Infografik mit dem Titel "Incubator". Vier Kästen zeigen: 1. Geschäftsmodelle (einschließlich wirtschaftlicher Aspekte), 2. Neue Geschäftsfelder und Einnahmequellen, 3. Neue Produkte und Dienstleistungen, 4. Produkte und Dienstleistungen des digitalen Ökosystems.

What is Possible To Do at Incubator?

Modernes Büroambiente mit Holzverkleidung und einem leuchtenden „Welcome“-Schild an einer Wand. Das Logo von Open Innovation ist in das Gesamtbild integriert.

At the BMW Incubator, you can: 

  • Develop innovative ideas with the guidance of experienced mentors and experts.
  • Develop your idea into a profitable business model, explore new business fields and revenue streams, and create new products, services, and digital ecosystem offerings. 
  • Collaborate with colleagues from diverse departments across BMW.
  • Access valuable resources and expert guidance to successfully turn your ideas into market-ready solutions. 
  • Specifically this means: Build prototypes; conduct customer studies (interviews, surveys, smoke tests); develop a business case for internal implementation or external investment; and assess legal, organizational, and technical feasibility.

Our Drive.

The goal of the BMW Incubator is to become the leading corporate entrepreneurship unit. The BMW Incubator transforms and validates ideas into customer-focused pilots by providing the tools, expertise, and momentum needed to bring innovations to life. Deeply embedded in the business-building processes at the BMW Group, it provides a structured and transparent process from idea to product launch.

Success Stories.

Ein Hand greift nach einem Lenkrad. Im Hintergrund ist ein Bildschirm mit blauen und grauen Wellenmustern und einem Wortgitter zu sehen.

QLOCKTWO.

The Incubator project between BMW and QLOCKTWO sets new standards in interior design and the driving experience in vehicles. It is a tribute to the times, combines technology with aesthetics and creates a unique digital art experience in the interior of every BMW.

BMW Open Innovation
FAQ.

The BMW Group is a provider of premium mobility.  Among other aspects, premium means offering innovative products and clever solutions that inspire our customers. What drives us every day is the motivation to always bring the best product or service to the market. Cross-industry collaborations and cooperation with tech startups help us to secure our innovation leadership in the future.

There is no better place than Munich for us to quickly integrate new technologies into our vehicles and build a business development network with BMW decision-makers. That is because our global headquarters are also located in Munich. It is here where we define our innovation strategies and develop our vehicles.

No! In fact, some of our most interesting innovations were sparked in other industries. There are numerous technologies or use cases that no one in the automotive industry has thought of yet. And that is what we are looking for.

Even though most of our innovation projects are confidential, there is a selection of success stories for all of our four innovation formats. Feel free to take a look!

Eine Gruppe von fünf Personen führt eine fröhliche Diskussion.
Partner with us
Intrigued? Partner with the BMW Group. The BMW Startup Garage is looking to partner with top startups like yours!