The finalists of the renowned Automotive Innovation Award 2019 have been announced. Nine innovations are now competing for the highest honors in the categories Technology, Services, and Challenging Concepts. The announcement of the finalists commences the final, exciting stage of the Automotive Innovation Award 2019. The winners will be announced on February 11, 2019.
A difficult choice was put before the impartial, professional jury, having to choose from five leading innovations in three categories. Jan Peter Balkenende, the chair of the jury, explains, “The Netherlands is a frontrunner in innovation. The fifteen semifinalists demonstrated this from the start, and now even more so with the finale around the corner. Each of these innovations is important for the sustainability of mobility. I look forward to congratulating the winners. No matter who wins, it is because of these players that the future of the Netherlands and the automotive sector looks promising.”
The nine finalists, per category and in alphabetical order, are:
Technology (product-related innovations):
- Bosal – EGHRS
- Punch Powertrain – DT2
- Tribus – Tribus Movitas
Services (mobility solutions such as apps, sharing concepts, and data):
- Crossyn – Advanced Analytics Platform
- Koopman Logistics – VIN Ledger
- Monotch – Traffic Live Exchange (TLEX)
Challenging Concepts (ideas still in development):
- Forze Hydrogen – Forze Hydrogen Electric Racing
- Lightyear – Lightyear One
- RDW – Voertuigrijbewijs (autonomous vehicle registration system)
Jury’s comments about the finalists in the Technology category
The exhaust heat recovery system from Bosal (EGHRS) and the hybrid transmission system from Punch Powertrain (DT2) are promising technical innovations with the potential to contribute significantly to fuel and energy reduction. The fully modular electric public bus from Tribus (Tribus Movitas) responds to developments in the public transport sector by combining several smaller innovations in a single new concept. This marks the end of the competition for TomTom (AutoStream), a streaming service for high-definition maps for autonomous cars, and Donkervoort (EX-CORE), a patented carbon fiber technology for rapid production of lighter and stronger vehicle parts.
Jury’s comments about the finalists in the Services category
The independent platform from Crossyn (Advanced Analytics Platform) connects drivers and service providers to positively influence consumer behavior. Koopman Logistics (VIN Ledger) uses blockchain technology at the VIN level for more efficient logistics processes in the automotive sector. The platform from Monotch (TLEX) improves traffic flow and safety and makes traffic infrastructure cheaper. The two innovations that did not make the finals were Felyx (Felyx), an app platform for the use and sharing of electric scooters in urban areas, and YOR24 (YOR24), which provides employees and employers insight into mobility options and suppliers in a single platform.
Jury’s comments about the finalists in the Challenging Concepts category
The hydrogen car from Forze Hydrogen (Forze Hydrogen Electric Racing), from TU Delft, seeks the limits of driving on hydrogen and makes a major contribution to the development of this technology. The solar-powered car from Lightyear (Lightyear One) takes a big step for electric driving and challenges the current technology. RDW (Voertuigbewijs) delivers a crucial tool in making autonomous driving possible in the future. The candidates that did not reach the finals were University Racing (Autonomous Racing Eindhoven), a fully-electric autonomous race car built by TU Eindhoven students, and Econamiq (Econamiq), a developing innovation to more effectively recover residual gases from internal combustion engines.
The winners
The finalists share the same ambition: to contribute to cleaner, smarter, safer, and more efficient mobility. Getting to the finals is not to be underestimated; the entries must meet extremely high criteria. They are judged on their innovative capacity, impact on mobility, economic return, and applicability. Even to be nominated for the Automotive Innovation Award is an achievement in and of itself.
The winners in the three categories will be announced during the awards ceremony on February 11, 2019 at the Louwman Museum in The Hague. More information about the nine finalists and the Automotive Innovation Award can be found on the website www.automotiveinnovationaward.nl.
Automotive Innovation Award: leading innovations
The Automotive Innovation Award is an initiative of ANWB, RAI Vereniging, BOVAG, LeasePlan Netherlands, AutomotiveNL and Roland Berger. This prestigious award was introduced to raise awareness of one of the most influential sectors in the Netherlands and to help foster innovation. The Dutch automotive manufacturing and service industry provides employment to more than 120,000 people and represents a total turnover of more than 65 billion euros a year.