Here's where the future is imagined

Porsche’s digital innovation offensive continues apace. Following the founding of Porsche Digital GmbH in late May of 2016, the sports-car manufacturer has now opened the Porsche Digital Lab in Berlin. The lab establishes a platform for collaboration with 
technology companies, start-ups, and firms working in the sciences. Its partner is the Porsche subsidiary MHP, one of the world’s 
leading management and IT consultancies.

Long rows of desks, no walls, lots of green. An uncomplicated 
environment in which to develop technologies and concepts for the future. The Porsche Digital Lab is part of a think tank in the Berlin district of Friedrichshain, where several teams from Porsche and MHP are wrestling with the question of how digital innovations can be 
translated into practice at Porsche. The tasks range from trend-scouting to idea generation and even to the construction of prototypes and components. Other fields of inquiry include cloud applications, the use of big data, the utilization of machines, and, of course, the Internet 
of Things.

The lab is open to innovations from all sources

Why Berlin? “Berlin has two fundamental advantages: here we come into contact with the relevant people and can take care of our business without the distraction of daily operations,” says Boris Behringer, director of the Porsche Digital Lab. The 42-year-old gained experience over fifteen years in various Porsche departments. His versatility is very much in keeping with the philosophy of the project. The aim: interconnected thinking, which will allow the greatest possible number of Porsche departments to profit from the lab’s work.

The team behind frontman Behringer is set for growth. The lab currently has six employees; by early 2017, the staff is slated to grow to fifteen. The seemingly randomly arranged seating areas are intended to attract many more creative minds than that, however. Anyone who’s interested can find ideas and access to the digital world at any time—the lab is open to innovations from all sources.