Overview

The automotive sector is currently undergoing a rapid evolution, marked by a concerted effort around decarbonisation, sustainability, and digitalisation. One of the great challenges of the next few years will be to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the automotive industry throughout the full value chain, not only through electrification of vehicles.

The luxury sports car market is mirroring the transformation of the overall automotive sector as technological advancements, changing customer preferences and ongoing regulatory changes push car makers to seek innovative solutions to stay ahead.

This ‘Space for the Sports Car Sector – Efficiency, Safety And Sustainability’ opportunity offers funding for teams who would like to develop sustainable space-based services and applications that address challenges related to the sports car sector.

Scope

With a strong focus on cutting emissions during the use phase of the vehicles and for domestic use, addressing scope three emissions is also a challenge. Innovative technologies are required to help monitor and reduce emissions and to ensure the full value chain is held accountable.

The efficiency of the overall automotive supply chain is also under scrutiny, as Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) aim to improve delivery methods of complex supply chains, to optimise routes, deliveries, and the tracking of goods for improved efficiency and transparency.

Furthermore, the luxury sports car market is seeing an increased demand from customers for innovative services to improve customer satisfaction, experience, and safety. This trend is fuelled by advancements in technology, particularly in connectivity and vehicle tracking systems, which serve as enablers. As consumers increasingly seek personalised and seamless experiences, automotive companies are aiming to leverage technology to deliver bespoke solutions, from real-time vehicle performance monitoring to route optimisation and enhanced security.

Topics of relevance

Sustainability

Ensuring sustainable practices throughout the supply chain is crucial for organisations committed to environmental responsibility and social accountability. Innovative ways of auditing supplier sustainability practices to mitigate environmental impacts and promote ethical sourcing is a key challenge facing OEMs around the world. Key elements include:

• Supplier sustainability auditing aims to address environmental concerns and social responsibility within the supply chain. There is a need to audit processes and identify areas for improvement so that strategic measures can be implemented to advance responsible sourcing and environmental stewardship across diverse supply chains.
• Assessment of pollutants at OEM locations: Manufacturing processes are significant contributors to emissions, necessitating accurate assessment for effective environmental management. Organisations need innovative solutions to enhance the precision and reliability of emission assessments at their sites.

Route Optimisation

Route optimisation is essential for enhancing the driving experience by ensuring efficient and safe journeys. It plays a crucial role in maximising driver convenience, whether in selecting smoother routes to maintain vehicle comfort or navigating through adverse weather conditions. Some examples of use cases requiring route optimisation are as follows:

• Road quality: For drivers of luxury sports vehicles, road quality is a critical factor for both the driving experience and for vehicle protection. The intricate design and low ground clearance of sports cars make them vulnerable to damage from road imperfections such as potholes, speed bumps, or debris. Innovative solutions are needed to provide comprehensive insights into road quality to suggest alternative, customised routes to drivers.
• Driving in adverse weather conditions often requires car settings to be adjusted in the luxury sports car segment. The ability to give advanced weather warnings to drivers can improve satisfaction and safety as the driver knows in advance that settings will need to be modified, to finetune a car’s performance. Furthermore, weather conditions such as hailstorms can damage a car and innovative applications to propose alternative routes to the end destination that take into consideration the changing weather forecast would be valuable to drivers.

Logistics

Innovation in logistics has a crucial role to play in optimising supply chain operations. By integrating advanced digital solutions, the aim is to increase efficiency, reduce delays, and optimise resource utilisation, contributing to smoother and more cost-effective supply chain operations. Some examples of innovative applications required are as follows:

• Booking/tracking system for inbound delivery trucks, to ensure efficient goods inwards processes and to monitor delays: The absence of a digital tracking system for inbound delivery trucks can lead to operational inefficiencies and potential delays in goods acceptance. To address this challenge, a comprehensive digital solution is required, This will empower users to manage delivery slots, provide live updates on truck locations and expected arrival times, offer arrivals confirmation, and enable drivers to designate deliveries as urgent or high priority. By implementing such a system, OEMs can streamline logistics operations, minimise queueing during peak hours, and optimise resource utilisation for enhanced efficiency.