TÜV NORD

As one of our challenge partners at IAA MOBILITY 2023, TÜV NORD was challenging the selected startups with a solution for data synchronization and an incentive system at the same time. At the end of the demo day, the team clearly agreed: „We were simply thrilled!“

The jury was made up of experts from different departments, including Matthias Vaterrodt, Project Lead for Venture Clienting at TÜV NORD’s new venture clienting unit innoTank and Roman Meier-Andrae, Head of IT & Digitalisierung at TÜV NORD Mobility. More support came from Claas Alexander Stroh from the Corporate Communications Department at TÜV NORD Mobility and Christian Rohling as Head of Operation Management IT and Digitalization at TÜR NORD Mobility, who knew the background of the challenge by heart.

What was the TÜV NORD challenge about?

The TÜV NORD challenge revolved around enhancing the synchronization of data between TÜV inspectors and car dealerships pr garages. Their primary objectives included developing a streamlined system for data exchange, considering an incentive structure for garages to adopt, and facilitating data collection for car inspections.

This challenge aimed to address critical issues. Currently, car dealerships and TÜV inspectors lack real-time visibility into each other’s availability and workload. This results in unsynchronized processes, inefficient service execution, and unnecessary stress for all parties involved.

TÜV inspectors currently operate on predefined schedules rather than responding to actual demand. The absence of data exchange is due to the absence of interfaces between dealer management systems and TÜV NORD systems. Multiple, disparate systems are in use, preventing the establishment of a uniform interface.

What was the winning solution?

The winning team, Studicon, is a pioneering management consultancy, embracing a unique approach. Their methodology harnesses the potential of highly motivated students to deliver professional consulting services with an absolute focus on AI and innovation. Studicon’s credo: For all problems out there, we have one student already working on it.

Their data-centered, AI-based concept and pragmatic, future-oriented strategies captivated the TÜV NORD jury, making them the well-deserved champions among a competitive pool of participants. Studicon’s holistic data analysis approach sets them apart, and their forward-thinking ideas promise to reshape the landscape of young professional-driven projects.

Their winning edge lay in harnessing data-driven solutions, demonstrating adaptability and a capacity to tailor their solutions to TÜV NORD’s precise needs. Well done!

What prompted you to participate in such an innovative format?

Roman: On one hand, within the Mobility Business Area, we have a wide range of issues where we’re seeking innovative, fresh solutions and are grateful for collaborations. On the other hand, with our new department innoTank, we now have a structured way to engage with startups.

Matthias: Exactly, this challenge arose from TÜV NORD Mobility, but more broadly, within TÜV NORD, we aim to enhance collaboration with startups, and Venture Clienting is the method to achieve this. It was a fantastic case and setup to begin with and bring this topic to such a stage and audience. Our challenge in the end aimed at finding ways to synchronize data between TÜV and car dealerships and to incentivize car dealerships to share data with us. That’s all we handed over to prototype.club and they searched for numerous startups to tackle this problem.

How were the participating teams in your eyes?

Roman: I was genuinely surprised by the diversity. I had no idea what to expect. We presented the challenge to you, and then we watched to see what would happen. The results were just as surprising. We had a very diverse international pool of applicants, each presenting unique solution approaches.

Matthias: Indeed, we were pleasantly surprised by for example DriveX’s enthusiasm in understanding our challenge. They jumped on board only one day before result presentation. The outcome was highly positive, with so many very interesting startups.

Roman: We were generally astounded by the variety. The team didn’t know what to expect when we threw our challenge out to you, so it was great to have such a colorful international pool of applicants. Their diverse solution approaches provided us with so much new inspiration.

How did the jury choose Studicon as the winner?

Selecting the winning team at IAA.prototype.club 2023 was a formidable task for the TÜV NORD jury. They faced a pool of diverse and innovative startup ideas, all solving the challenge. This made the decision at the end of demo day a challenging one.

Ultimately, Studicon stood out as the victor. Their winning edge lay in a forward-thinking approach, harnessing data-driven solutions, modern AI technologies, and collaborating with expert students. The fierce competition highlighted the immense quality of all participating startups. This exceptional pool of talent led TÜV NORD to announce future collaborations with two other teams during the award ceremony, reaffirming their commitment to innovation and offering opportunities to far more than one winner.