BMW and new joint venture Critical TechWorks at Web Summit 2018 in Lisbon.

Munich/Lisbon. After the considerable success of last year’s event, BMW will once again partner with the Web Summit in Portugal this year. From 5-8 November 2018, the focus will not only be on showcasing the latest technologies and products: Professionals and high-potentials from the IT field will also have the opportunity for one-on-one conversations with employees from Critical TechWorks, a joint venture between the BMW Group and CRITICAL Software. Under the motto #yournewjob, they will have the chance to get to know the company better and apply for one of many exciting new jobs. At its stand in the Altice Arena BMW will also be presenting the new BMW 3 Series Sedan with the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which recently had its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show. Another item on the agenda will be the keynote speech of Christoph Grote, Senior Vice-President BMW Group Electronics, on the Auto/Tech & TalkRobot Stage on Thursday, 8 November at 2 pm.

#yournewjob: Critical TechWorks seeks fresh talents.
For BMW and Critical TechWorks, the Web Summit 2018 is not just about digital innovation and technology, but also recruitment. The Lisbon and Porto-based joint venture already employs around 200 people. That figure is set to more than double by next year, with a workforce of up to 500 by the end of 2019. Interested applicants are encouraged to talk to Critical TechWorks employees directly on the stand and learn more about different areas of activity: They may even go home with an attractive job offer. Candidates who impress with their skills in the coding contest will be offered an on-the-spot job interview, held on the exhibition grounds in a BMW X2. Applications are especially welcomed from professionals who can, amongst others, enhance the team as a "Data Mastermind", "UX Design Alchemist", "C++ Guru" or "Java Full Stack Hero".

#yoursummit: BMW and Critical TechWorks as part of the community.
The joint stand serves as a central meeting point for interested visitors. A large number of online services, information about the conference programme and activities relating to the 2018 Summit are available under the hashtag #yoursummit. This also includes test drives in the all-electric BMW i3 (combined fuel consumption: 0.0 l/100 km; combined power consumption: 13.6 – 13.1 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km), as well as a specially compiled entertainment and information programme with talks on current developments in the automotive industry and the field of digitalisation – for example, with journalist Jonathan Openshaw and blogger Sam Fane.

Innovations live: new BMW 3 Series Sedan and BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.
BMW will demonstrate its leading role in the field of digital services and connectivity at the Web Summit 2018 with the new BMW 3 Series. The centrepiece of the seventh-generation sports sedan is the new digital BMW Operating System 7.0 display and control concept. With content that can be personalised and individually selected, this focuses more than ever on the driver for optimised multimodal operation.

The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant opens up totally new possibilities for interaction between driver and vehicle. The adaptive digital companion can easily be activated by saying "Hey BMW". Familiar with all vehicle functions, it is able to explain them ("How does the High-Beam Assistant work?") and operate them as required ("Hey BMW, I’m cold" will turn on the air conditioning, for example). It can also answer questions about the current vehicle status ("Hey BMW, are the oil levels OK?"). The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant applies patterns and habits in the appropriate context – for example, it can turn on the seat heating in the morning on the way to work or recognise frequent destinations ("Take me home"). Its capabilities improve with every interaction. One unique feature other digital assistants do not offer is the option of giving the digital companion a name.

In his keynote speech (Thursday 8 November, 2.00 p.m., Auto/Tech & TalkRobot Stage), Christoph Grote, Senior Vice President BMW Group Electronics, will show how new connected car technologies are changing the relationship between people and the vehicles they drive. Vehicles are becoming more and more digital, connected and intelligent, and can be personalised to an ever greater degree. This increases the functionality and, at the same time, the complexity of vehicles as a whole. In order for technology to fulfil the desires and needs of people in the best possible way, it is necessary to make new functions simple to operate. The key is to design technology to be intelligent, predictive, adaptive, intuitive and always centred on people.

Over 70,000 visitors are expected to attend the Web Summit 2018, one of the world’s biggest technology conferences. Over the four-day event, more than 1,200 speakers will explore various aspects of digitalisation, provide information on new IT developments and discuss the implications of technological progress on society in the present and in the future.

Media inquiries: We are happy to set up individual interviews with our experts on the subjects of Critical TechWorks, vehicle electronics and IT. Please contact Michael Ortmeier to make arrangements.