Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has invited start-up companies from across the UK to join its new ‘Open Innovation hub’ – aimed at integrating the next-generation of car technology into its future cars.
The car maker says it wants to build new collaborations with start-ups, scale-ups and “like-minded” external firms to develop upgrades in the areas of electrification, connectivity, digital services, the metaverse and more.
The hub has been created in partnership with investment firm Plug and Play. Jaguar Land Rover has also created two similar set-ups with Brazilian firms Cubo Itau and Firjan, which will provide access to the Latin American start-up sphere.
JLR aims to use the hubs to create new jobs and opportunities, with access to a “global ecosystem” of potential partners. This will allow the firm to test new technologies and business models. Activities will be located close to Jaguar Land Rover’s headquarters in Coventry.
This latest move from JLR comes as part of its recently announced Reimagine strategy, under which it plans to become “the creator of the world’s most desirable, luxury vehicles for the most discerning of customers”. It will also be looking to hit its target of turning Jaguar into an electric-only brand from 2025 and expanding its EV offering to the Land Rover marque.
“By collaborating with innovators and sector experts, the Open Innovation programme will help the business identify digital services, products, tools, and processes for it to achieve its goal of net zero by 2039, while creating new value chains for the business,” the firm said.
JLR has already been collaborating with a number of well-known brands, including American software giant Nvidia, which will help to introduce heightened connectivity and advanced autonomous driving functionality to all cars launched from 2025.
As well as this, talks are underway with Chinese battery supplier Envision AESC, which could see a new gigafactory created in the UK. The batteries would then be used to supply cells for electric Range Rover and Land Rover models
The car maker’s strategy and sustainability executive director, François Dossa, said: “With the launch of the Open Innovation platform, Jaguar Land Rover is looking at the entire mobility and sustainability ecosystem to offer an unparalleled customer experience, shaping the future of our industry, and paving the way to the future.
“We will explore everything from second-life batteries and circular economy to new fintech, insurtech and digital services – all aligned with Jaguar Land Rover as the proud creators of modern luxury.