The connected car has been at the center of the discussions during the 25th Hessen- Forum. 200 decision makers from Hessen’s largest industry took part at the top event of the Employers‘ Association Hessen-Metal. The largest member, the Adam Opel AG, hosted the meeting. In Rüsselsheim the players exchanged especially to these two questions: How can we accelerate the progress in the German car industry? And how could the development be influenced by the innovation culture of US internet companies?

„That ,Smartphonizing’ of life reached the car. This will make our lives easier and more comfortable, but also provide us with entirely new challenges in terms of quality and safety in terms of products and data,“ said Wolf M. Mang, CEO of Hessen- Metall. Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann spoke about the comeback of the Opel brand – in which the subject of connectivity plays a central role. Neumann: „The customer requirements are changing dramatically. While in the past the question of horsepower and size of the vehicle was in the foreground, today more and more young people ask first for the iPhone interface and the Siri voice control. Therefore, for Opel connectivity is an important element of brand differentiation.“

Rainer Hetzer from the supplier Continental confirmed: „The vision of the connected driving is for us no longer just a vision. We are already in the midst of development and implementation.“ Where the path might eventually lead – that was described by Jens Monsees. The automotive expert Google spoke about the sensational concept „Driverless Car“, which is currently promoted by the internet giant.