Statement Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, BMW Group Annual Conference 2021

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

Statement Zipse Annual Conference 2021

Good Morning, Everyone!

I like to start with the bigger picture. Why is this important to me? Because, at BMW, our decisions are based on a long-term perspective. That makes anticipating how the world around us will change even more important. What are the big issues of our time that concern us all and demand joint answers? 

I would like to offer five beliefs:

First:

Effective climate protection can only be achieved through the intensive use of technology.

I firmly believe science and technology-based innovation are key to making the world carbon-neutral. This will require industry-wide networking, with the active support of policy. Doubts, unilateral technology determination, and politics of interest only hinder this process. To make real progress, we need the biggest efforts in all areas where they have been proven to deliver the greatest impact. Sacrifice is not an option. 

Second:

Industrialisation needs the right timing.

The success of a technical invention depends, first, on the ability to industrialise under highly complex conditions and, second, on finding the right timing.

These two factors, combined, determine whether an innovation gains traction in the marketplace. Physical industrialisation will remain valuable to society, even in the digital age – especially, as the two merge into one and result in progress. 

Third:

The future of our planet demands circularity.

Every year, humanity uses more than 100 billion tonnes of raw materials. Anyone wanting to use our Earth’s scarce resources for their business model in the future will need to have very good reasons. We must turn the narrative around – from a taken-for-granted, unquestioned use of primary materials to the primacy of secondary materials. Let's reduce our dependencies! Every time we think about using raw materials, we should ask: How much do we need and what do we want to use it for? Are there better options?

Fourth:

Digitisation serves humankind.

Digitisation has long been a commodity and we look to take advantage of it. Think about the images the Mars Rover has been sending us over the past few days. How those shots were taken is secondary. What counts is their magic. Digitalisation is there alongside us wherever we go. It makes our lives easier. We simply expect it to work – without being too obvious. In doing so, it needs to be human and will become even “more human”.

Fifth:

Growth will remain the most important economic currency.

Global companies need to recognise where markets are headed – both progressive ones and those that are more established. All markets have potential for growth and profitability. Markets will continue to develop in different ways – in terms of pace, technology and the framework conditions. Companies with a strong ability to serve different markets with the right technologies and products will have the best prospects for further growth and profitability.

I wanted to begin today by sharing these thoughts with you – because they guide our actions at the BMW Group.

Our brand new BMW iX* is our innovation and technology flagship – entirely in the sense of these five beliefs. We have worked intensively to achieve this. Choosing the right timing for this highly complex vehicle was both a guiding principle for us and a decision we had to make. The iX* will enable all future BMW vehicles. I have already driven it a few times myself. And I can tell you: It definitely delivers on our promises. It is a true BMW. Fully-electric: with a range up to 600 km according to WLTP; short charging times, a unique discovery space – packed to the brim with technology you can’t see or feel. We call this shy tech. All is intuitive, simple and human-like. I’m sure customers will love it.

There are three things we associate with it:

• BMW’s capacity for innovation.
• BMW systems expertise.
• BMW’s ability for the right timing. 

There is a lot going on right now in our Individual Mobility business segment. The market capitalization of our industry really exploded last year. A lot of promises have been made. There are a lot of new projects – with real and perceived obligations to take action. Now, as always, we are charting our own BMW course. Today, we will be showing you what that looks like all the way up to 2030.

Speech Dr. Nicolas Peter.

Followed by speech Oliver Zipse part II. 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since August 2019, I have been working with my strong new Board of Management team to lay the foundations for a new beginning:

• We adopted our integrated approach to sustainability with concrete goals up to 2030 in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. In fact, our own CO₂ emissions target is a lot more ambitious. We are also submitting our activities to external scrutiny – as demonstrated by our first Integrated BMW Group Report.
• We instilled the team with confidence. BMW certainly has all the capabilities it needs for the age of sustainable electromobility – which we launched ourselves, almost a decade ago, with the BMW i3.
• We dealt with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic with typical BMW flexibility. In fact, our global market share even increased during the pandemic. The BMW team spirit won through – and I would like to thank all our more than 120,000 associates worldwide for that.

Now, it is time for the next big push.

We are driving the transformation the company needs to ramp up e-mobility at high speed. The BMW iX is a good example of our technology offensive.

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