SEAT Recognised by The Financial Times

• The report by the Financial Times singles out 100 leading European companies in the field of digitalisation
• The selected companies stand out for their ability to adapt to new technologies in an innovative way
• SEAT, recognised for tackling digital challenges in manufacturing

SEAT has been acknowledged as a leader in digital transformation by a study carried out by the prestigious British daily the Financial Times. This publication, together with Google, Nesta and The Innovation Foundation, selected 100 organisations, people and companies from 4,000 entries, that are spearheading digital transformation in Europe, a key factor in economic growth, job creation and entering new markets. In recognising SEAT, the Financial Times cited  the Company’s open innovation programme at its flagship plant in Martorell, to help tackle digital challenges in manufacturing.

SEAT President Luca de Meo stated that “digitalisation is a strategic priority. SEAT is one of the companies that invests the most in R&D in Spain, and has concentrated its efforts on developing new technologies in order to boost productivity and diversify its business. We are working on becoming a benchmark in future mobility. Having been selected by the Financial Times as one of the 100 leading European companies in digital transformation is a significant recognition of the efforts made by the company and the entire team.”

Industry 4.0, key to SEAT’s digitalisation

SEAT is  promoting an ambitious transformation process whereby all of its production activities are being adapted to the digital environment with the most disruptive technologies on the market. The Spanish carmaker is developing and applying digital tools and solutions aimed at vehicle production that enable the company to gain in efficiency, flexibility and agility. For example, by implementing artificial intelligence, the use of collaborative robots as well as virtual reality and big data in the Martorell factory to revolutionise vehicle design and production.

Furthermore, SEAT has a biomechanical laboratory which stands out for its contribution to developing more ergonomic workstations. This one-of-a-kind facility in Spain features more than 20 cameras that process workers’ musculoskeletal characteristics in 3D with the aim of preventing pathologies resulting from the production process as well as improving rehabilitation in the event of injuries. In addition, SEAT has implemented training programmes using an innovative method that explains industrial transformation in a way that is easy, interactive and digital. Since the programme began, more than 2.500 employees have attended the courses.

Designing future mobility

In the framework of the Easy Mobility strategy, SEAT’s goal is to build a portfolio of products and services to offer customers new urban mobility solutions. In this sense, SEAT created Metropolis:Lab Barcelona in 2017, a centre of excellence dedicated to researching and developing new urban mobility solutions which is integrated in the Volkswagen Group’s IT Lab network. This year the company launched XMOBA to test and commercialise mobility services. In addition, SEAT acquired Respiro, a pioneering hourly car sharing service in Spain.

Last week at the Smart City Expo World Congress, SEAT presented its latest developments that will contribute to boosting its global transition towards smarter, more sustainable mobility. The initiatives developed by the SEAT Metropolis:Lab include ride-sharing and Bus on Demand, which XMOBA is going to roll out as a pilot test in 2019. Other novelties included the evolution of the SEAT Cristobal concept car, now with 5G technology; the new socially responsible navigation project together with Waze and the Barcelona City Council; and the brand’s first vehicle in its urban micromobility strategy, the SEAT eXS powered by Segway.

Notes to the Editor: 

SEAT is an automotive company with headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona). A member of the Volkswagen Group, it is present in over 80 countries and exports 80% of its vehicle production. In 2017, SEAT obtained an after tax profit of 281 million euros, sold close to 470,000 vehicles and achieved a record turnover of more than 9.5 billion euros.

The multinational is engaged in a global digitalisation process to promote mobility of the future and new business opportunities. SEAT aims to combine the best processes and structures of a major company with the agility and flexibility of a start-up.

For this purpose, SEAT now has Metropolis:Lab Barcelona, located in the Barcelona Tech City’s Pier 01, the European technological hub of reference, and the subsidiary XMOBA, which aims to identify, develop and commercialise new Smart mobility services. The company also offers the latest connectivity technology in its vehicle line-up, and is the first in the world to integrate Amazon Alexa, Google’s Waze or Shazam.