Local Motors Open Innovation
This is an open innovation group producing a car based on public input. Great idea. It appears they're doing so on the basis of design (styling) competitions and then doing the engineering in-house, and will farm out production to shops in various locales to produce the vehicles.
This is a good first step to open innovation. Later on it would make sense to draw more expertise from participants and enable them to become more deeply involved with the engineering work. This and the RiverSimple concept are two examples of the inevitable move toward open innovation in the automobile industry.
This is a good first step to open innovation. Later on it would make sense to draw more expertise from participants and enable them to become more deeply involved with the engineering work. This and the RiverSimple concept are two examples of the inevitable move toward open innovation in the automobile industry.
Labels: local motors, open innovation
posted by David Nguyen at
8:54 AM
2 Comments:
Hi David! Thanks for sharing Local Motors with your readers.
It is truly exciting for car enthusiasts to join the development process of both design and engineering. This is how Local Motors is gaining valuable insights and ideas from people who really LOVE cars, while also listening to what customers want in specific regions and niches.
Everyone is invited to join Local Motors and help choose which designs you want to see come to life.
One clarification, and it is a big one. You say "...and will farm out production to shops in various locales to produce the vehicles." But this is not the case. Local Motors vehicles will be built in regional Local Motors Micro-Factories. The Micro-Factory experience is a large part of what makes Local Motors exceptional; the interaction between company, community and customer continues from the virtual realm into the physical. Customers will join LM experts to help build their own cars; customers & community members can race on our test track; they can hang out and just talk cars. We will not farm out one of the most important aspects of our business and community; this closeness and the Micro-Factory experience is necessary.
Cheers & thanks again!
Ariel
aferreira@local-motors.com
Community Evangelist
By
Ari, At
July 31, 2009 at 8:39 AM
I stand corrected. Thanks for clarifying Ariel.
By
David Nguyen, At
July 31, 2009 at 6:03 PM
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