MAN Truck and Bus organised a startup pitch event at MAN Truck Forum in Munich to undertake a transition from a leading commercial vehicles manufacturer to a provider of intelligent and sustainable transportation solutions. It is organised in cooperation with the European Innovation Council (EIC). The company is focusing on brand new digital customer services, among other things.

Along with developers of pioneering transmissions for electric trucks (Mazaro from Belgium) or innovative battery management systems (Insplorion from Sweden), this also included OneWatt, a Dutch company whose ‘Embedded Acoustic Recognition Sensors’ or EARS use artificial intelligence to analyse motor noise with precision – so much so that they can identify problems before they even become problems.

The pitch event had brought together 18 international startups working in the fields of electric mobility, connected transportation and intelligent supply chains. The Munich-based manufacturer intends to find and foster innovative concepts for its own business. As part of the event, MAN looked for fresh ideas it could integrate into its existing product, service, and process portfolio or include in the development of new business models.

85 startups from the whole of Europe had applied to take part in the Munich event. 18 of them were selected to present their ideas in front of 150 leading MAN employees and Group partners. Innovative founders traveled from 12 different countries, including Portugal, Belgium, and even Finland. They brought unusual ideas in the fields of electric mobility, connected transportation & new mobility, intelligent operations and supply chain, smart maintenance & inspection, or data analytics & competitive intelligence, all of which MAN Truck and Bus expects to provide fresh ideas for its own business.

Along with developers of pioneering transmissions for electric trucks (Mazaro from Belgium) or innovative battery management systems (Insplorion from Sweden), this also included OneWatt, a Dutch company whose Embedded Acoustic Recognition Sensors or EARS use artificial intelligence to analyse motor noise with precision – so much so that they can identify problems before they even become problems. This can prevent motor damage and downtimes. German startup ONO has devised a futuristic electric cargo bike for the last-mile transportation of goods. Other ideas included optimised route planning (Bestmile from Sweden), robot programming (Cambrian Intelligence, UK), or 3D accident prevention sensors (fastree 3D, Switzerland).

The EIC Corporate Day forms part of the SME Instrument Business Acceleration Services, which are provided on behalf of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME). This institution was set up by the European Commission to manage several EU programs in the fields of SME support & innovation, environment, climate action, and energy on its behalf. The SME Instrument is part of the European Innovation Council pilot (EIC pilot) that aims to support top-class innovators, entrepreneurs, small companies, and scientists with bright ideas. In this respect, the SME Instrument’s main focus is on innovations that have the potential to create new markets and jobs, generate growth, and facilitate a higher standard of living.