IAV mobilizes its workforce with innovation funds

The tech solution provider IAV is strategically reorients itself and wants to increasingly offer modern engineering solutions in new business areas and markets. In this way, the Berlin-based company is even more involved in the involvement of its employees. A new innovation fund is designed to encourage the workforce to actively contribute their own project ideas.

Berlin, 03/02/2022 - the employees are the most important capital of a company and decisive for its economic success. On the way to becoming a tech solution provider, IAV now wants to further fuel the inventive spirit of its workforce with a specially set up innovation fund. "Startup Committee" is the name of the joint commission, consisting of employee and company representatives, which will decide in the future which projects will benefit financially from the 1.5 million Euro innovation fund. IAV CFO Katja Ziegler and Johannes Katzan of IG Metall will be sponsoring the fund.

With the innovation fund and the involvement of employee representatives in the fund management, IAV is taking another step toward becoming a "joint venture". Until now, projects of the workforce have been realized, especially through campaigns of the digital lab, and the money often comes directly from the technical IAV departments.

Co-operation company IAV

In order to increase the awareness of the fund among the workforce, ambassadors are appointed at all locations throughout the company, who are provided with advice and support for the submission of project ideas.

"The fund is an integral part of the company's strategy to ensure that IAV is economically, socially and ecologically sustainable and at the same time to ensure attractive working conditions. We are pleased that we have succeeded in establishing the innovation fund for the workforce as part of the collective bargaining process," said Johannes Katzan from IG Metall.

"Without such a format, many good ideas would not be presented and would remain as ideas only. With the innovation fund, ideas can be developed into real solutions that offer added value for IAV and our customers," says fond sponsor Katja Ziegler.

The startup committee collects and evaluates the submitted project ideas in a two-month cycle. The best proposals will be invited to the Pitchday, an online format for the people behind the projects to present their ideas.

For each supported idea, a financial method of return to the innovation fund is agreed upon successful project implementation, so that as many projects as possible benefit from the fund in the future.

About IAV

With more than 8,000 employees, IAV is one of the world's leading engineering partners for the automotive industry. The company has been developing innovative concepts and technologies for future vehicles for more than 35 years, and in 2020 it sold around 896 million euros. Customers worldwide include all well-known automobile manufacturers and supplier. In addition to vehicle and drive development, IAV has already entered the e-mobility and autonomous driving at an early stage and is today one of the leading development service provider in these areas. In addition to the development centers in Berlin, Gifhorn and Chemnitz/Stollberg, IAV has other locations in Munich, Sindelfingen and Ingolstadt, as well as in Europe, Asia, North and South America.