Volkswagen Group helps establish Germany’s mobility data space

Data is creating new business streams and opportunities for the common good in the automotive sector. The Volkswagen Group is a founding member of the Mobility Data Space established on behalf of the German Federal Government. Like the broader European Gaia-X initiative that’s creating a federated and secure data infrastructure by and for Europe, the Mobility Data Space is a data-sharing community launched in Germany. Its focus is to facilitate an environment for innovation, sustainability, and user-friendly mobility concepts by giving all market players equal and transparent access to relevant data in a shared data marketplace.

Volkswagen Group’s strategic objectives have changed in recent years as it has shifted its focus from purely manufacturing to being a sustainable and software- and data-driven mobility provider, a change experienced by other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the industry. Further new and innovative mobility services can only be created if data from different sources is combined, which means existing data silos must be broken down. The Mobility Data Space offers a solution, giving all players in the mobility sector easy access to the data economy while ensuring participants retain data sovereignty over their own data.

Aggregating data for the common good

Following the initial launch of the Mobility Data Space, Volkswagen saw that more progress could be made and understood that a key component in its success would be the development and provision of use cases for the data space. The organization realized that its brand Audi both had the vehicles capable of supplying vehicle sensor data on a larger scale, but already had proven experience in utilizing vehicle data. In addition, Audi had the data, generated in Europe from vehicles across a broad product range, needed to increase customer value by enabling new digital services. This would make Germany’s roads significantly safer in support of the European Union’s Vision Zero initiative to reduce road and traffic accidents with the aim of zero fatalities.

After serving as a partner for Audi’s digital business for a number of years, Capgemini Invent was chosen as the key data partner. Together, the partners established the project management and collaboration model within the Volkswagen Group for the Mobility Data Space. Simultaneously, Audi and Capgemini Invent worked with the Volkswagen Group to build use cases, manage the project to ensure delivery within a tight timeframe, and support the creation of sustainable customer and business value for the Mobility Data Space.

Building the first available use case 

With a tight timeframe to demonstrate the value of the Mobile Data Space, collaboration was essential in the coordination of different stakeholders from February until go-live in mid-October, 2021 — just a little over seven months. The collaborative working model saw the Volkswagen Group’s data unit, Audi, Capgemini Invent, and representatives of the Mobility Data Space working closely together to enable the efficient management of all stakeholders involved.

One of the first joint use cases to be delivered by the joint Audi-Capgemini Invent project team was Local Hazard Information. Following the established project management processes, the partners delivered a solution that provides aggregated event data on road traffic hazards collected from vehicle sensors in the Audi fleet. This data is based on events such as accidents, broken-down vehicles, loss of traction, and restricted visibility due to heavy rain or fog. It can be used by a number of B2B customers with access to the Mobility Data Service, such as a navigation service that warns road users of upcoming danger spots in nearly real-time to give them the ability to react proactively.

Building on this early success, Volkswagen, Audi, and Capgemini Invent have proven that further applications can be developed for app manufacturers and road traffic authorities, as well as weather services, insurers, and automotive suppliers. This use case effectively highlighted the potential impact of the Mobility Data Space, including the capacity to link data from private as well as public mobility providers to achieve more fluid, user-friendly, and safer mobility for Germany and Europe.

Tapping into the power of data

With a project management framework in place, Vokswagen’s Group data unit worked with Capgemini Invent to fulfill the Group’s responsibilities as a founding member. This helped to build up the Mobility Data Space’s processes and to enable a smooth go-live at the ITS World Congress.

The role of Volkswagen Group’s data unit in the Mobility Data Space will give all the Group’s brands access to a large database of other OEMs, traffic control systems, and road authorities among others while securing customers’ data privacy. Among the expected benefits are:

• Higher information accuracy 
• Direct access to potential data buyers 
• Facilitated data exchange through central contract brokerage 
• Standardization of data products from multiple sources 
• Joint development of business models with data sharing community.