Energy optimisation project kicked off

Irish BoostUp! Europe winners Mavarick start working with German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH.

Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH, Die Gläserne Manufaktur Dresden, described a use case for energy optimisation in Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for the BoostUp! Europe competition in 2023. Irish start-up Mavarick, founded in 2022, won the competition. Collaboration has formally started with a kick-off in which the team also defined how to move forward.

Open for innovation

As energy consumption is a crucial factor in the automotive industry, Volkswagen Sachsen seeks to optimise with the use of new technologies. The BoostUp! Europe competition offered them an opportunity to look for solution providers who establish a smart energy management system, using real time data.

Silvia Grätz, Business Creation Manager in EIT Manufacturing Central, exchanged with Dr Dirk Thieme, Head of New Mobility and Innovations and Johannes Rönsberg, Innovation Manager, both at Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH, Die Gläserne Manufaktur Dresden about the use case. “I found a great openness to solutions from software or hardware side – an innovation mindset that made it particularly exciting to watch suggestions for solutions come in.”

Mavarick’s approach of integrating edge devices, building a digital twin and taking industry standards such as the Asset Administration Shell into account, made it to first place.

Building on existing successes

In June 2023, Mavarick had already won first prize in the BoostUp! IRELAND edition start-up competition. The current use case by Volkswagen Sachsen was the second one presented by the German innovation experts.

The kick-off meeting was held online, but a visit to Germany is planned to happen soon.