BMW is proud of its 100-year history, and often portrays new models in their historical contexts. But BMW i, as the company's newest division, doesn't have much of a history, so practically all of its focus is forward; that's a pretty good direction for a sub-brand whose "i" stands for innovation. To search for new ideas on mobility, BMW i is teaming with TED for their "NextVisionaries" competition—and you can enter.
TED is a nonprofit organization founded in 1984 that since 2006 has put TED Talk videos online for free. Ted.com today boasts more than 2,400 TED Talks that are viewed about a billion times a year in total. There are almost 100,000 published translations of TED Talks in over 110 languages.
Through its partnership with TED, BMW i invites strategists, pioneers, and creative thinkers from all over the world to submit their ideas for future mobility. Applications may be submitted now at http://www.nextvisionaries.com.
Between now and August, a panel of mentors will conduct a multi-phase selection process to pick the most innovative, groundbreaking, and promising ideas. From these finalists, a winning entrant will be chosen to present their visionary idea on the TED stage in New York City in November.
“Ever since the founding of project i ten years ago, BMW i has been a visionary pioneer. This spirit of visionary thinking and pioneering action unites BMW i and the TED community. For all pre-thinkers of inspiring and iconic visions around the mobility of tomorrow, we offer a great stage with this unique cooperation,” explained Hildegard Wortmann, Senior Vice President Brand BMW.
Lisa Choi Owens, Head of Global Partnerships at TED, added, “TED Talks give the most creative minds and their most fascinating ideas a way to reach curious audiences around the world. The collaboration with BMW i gives us the chance to unearth some of the most exciting new thinking in the field of mobility.”
The theme of the NextVisionaries competition is “Visionary Mobility.” BMW i wants to attract the broadest spectrum of pioneering ideas and concepts. Entrants are encouraged to submit vehicle and technological concepts, hardware and software solutions, and ideas for products and services that have the potential to shape the face of personal transport in tomorrow’s world. Ideas that address environment-friendly mobility-related solutions that conserve resources will probably do well.
More information is available on the http://www.nextvisionaries.com web site, along with the online forms for submitting ideas. Entries will be edited for composition and content and then narrowed down to a smaller selection. Six visionaries will be shortlisted and allowed to further refine their concepts with experts from BMW i and TED. These visions will be presented in public for the first time at the next Frankfurt International Motor Show in September 2017. After that, a panel of experts will choose the overall winner.
The winning entrant will make the presentation in New York in November. In case the winner is inclined toward stage fright, he or she will receive comprehensive public speaking coaching, since the presentation of the new idea is important for its acceptance and understanding by the public.
If you have ever looked at a mobility challenge and thought you had a better way to do it, now is the time to step up. BMW i and TED have made it easy for you to do just that.—Scott Blazey
[Photo courtesy of BMW AG.]
