BMW Brilliance holds 2021 Hackathon @ BMW Shenyang Plants to
innovate future industrial digitalization and expand talent pool

Shenyang. From July 9 to 11, BMW Brilliance Automotive held its first 2021 Hackathon @ BMW Shenyang Plants in Shenyang. Gathering student contestants from over ten universities nationwide, the contest is a 48-hour programming relay, testing participants with some real-life scenarios on Shenyang Plants’ production line at BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. Calling for brilliant ideas from the youth outside BMW Brilliance’s plants, the contest aims to find new paths for and solutions to industrial digitalization as well as production at BMW Brilliance.

BMW Brilliance is a manufacturer of premium automobiles, a forerunner in innovation and digitalization, and an attractive employer. Always aware of the crucial role of talent for long-term corporate success, the company continues to bring in and develop the best minds. The 2021 Hackathon @ BMW Shenyang Plants is an opportunity where software engineers at BMW Brilliance can work alongside their student counterparts to explore new technologies and push their boundary in knowledge. Their creativity and openness will help address business challenges and promote change and innovation in the automotive industry. At the same time, the contest also serves to offer a high-quality platform for young people home and abroad to showcase their talent.

People-oriented and open for innovation to discover and incentivize talents

The 2021 Hackathon @ BMW Shenyang Plants was held at BMW Brilliance’s Plant Tiexi, a National AAAA Tourist Attraction. During the registration period from early to late June, hundreds of applications were received from tens of universities worldwide. The organizing committee selected 52 contestants and grouped them to compete in a 48-hour programming relay, where test questions were given on the spot. The judge’s team is formed by BMW Brilliance management team members and a university professor in production, including Dr. Franz Decker, Senior Vice President of Technology & Manufacturing; David Shangguan, Senior Vice President of HR; Ralf Schieder, Vice President of Strategy & Logistics; Harry Qi, Head of IT Order to Delivery; Marc Laude, Head of Technical Planning Assembly; and Prof. YU Ruiyun, Vice Dean of Software College, Northeastern University.

After some basic training and briefing of industrial knowledge, the students had the chance to visit BMW Brilliance’s Shenyang production site and learned about its advanced manufacturing system. During the 48-hour “Hackathon”, team members worked closely with each other while fully unleashing talent, testing their limits and gaining experience in practice.

Advocating strategic CSR, BMW Brilliance always focuses on the integration of in-house resources and core competitive advantage and endeavors to create shared values through innovative and sustainable operation that drives long-term and active participation of all stakeholders. Whilst offering a new platform for the brightest minds, the first 2021 Hackathon @ BMW Shenyang Plants further expands BMW’s talent pool, helping to bring in new momentum to BMW Brilliance’s efforts in innovation and sustainability.

Creating holistic digitalization through innovative and sustainable production

Sustainability runs throughout the lifecycle of each BMW vehicle. In June, 2021, BMW Brilliance released BMW Brilliance Sustainability Report 2020, its eighth sustainability report since 2014. BMW Brilliance continues to lead the green development of the automotive industry, again ranking #1 in the Automotive Enterprise Green Development Index in 2020. It was also awarded the “National Green Plant” title for the fourth consecutive year.

BMW Brilliance regards digitalization a core concept at every phase, and is committed to effective application of the state-of-the-art technology and pushing its boundary. Its leading application of IIoT in smart manufacturing and high efficient productivity have become a new benchmark for high-quality, sustainable development in China’s automotive industry. Industrial big data, 5G, artificial intelligence, digital twins, VR production line, 3D factory panorama, visual logistics and digital platform—constantly upgraded IIoT has optimized processes, improved efficiency and levelled up BMW Brilliance’s productivity, contributing to BMW’s premium products and customer service.

Today, BMW Brilliance’s ongoing construction projects—Tiexi New Plant, Dadong Plant Extension and R&D Center Phase II Extension—feature extensive application of frontier technologies. Already at the phase of equipment installation and testing, the three projects are due for commissioning in 2022.

Continuously building stronger productivity in the future

The test questions were arranged in three categories—AI, Logistics & Manufacturing Simulation, and Power of Data. Adopting amusing names such as Where Who We Are, Scream, Turtledove Lab, Invincible Hackers, Dock & Fries, Welding Gun and What Else Do You Want, twelve teams with members of different majors were no less serious about their competition. The 2021 Hackathon @ BMW Shenyang Plants finally concluded as 48 hours of intensive thinking translated into brilliant ideas and solutions exhibiting the youth’s aspirations for innovative industrial development.

Dr. Franz Decker, Senior Vice President, Technology & Manufacturing, said, “Today’s live competition was very stale, because every team is very strong and it is difficult for the jury to make a choice, but the event is relaxing and happy, same as the working atmosphere of BMW Brilliance employees. Digitalization and sustainability are core concepts at BMW Brilliance. The digital age and the ever-growing trend of sustainability will elevate the production capacity of BMW Brilliance’s Shenyang plants to a new level, reinforcing our commitment to local production and high quality development. I can see in today’s contest that you, the young students, are an indispensable part of innovative development in the future.”

Mr. David Shangguan, Senior Vice President, HR, also noted that, “ ‘People-oriented’ has always been a management philosophy at BMW Brilliance. Our strategy coordinates with market changes, thus the demand for talents changes in kind. In response to the adjustments necessary for digitalization, we have actively established an innovation-driven organization culture to sharpen and upgrade our capability in all respects to address business needs. The first 2021 Hackathon @ BMW Shenyang Plants is another efficient measure to innovate our talent program. I was very impressed with the performance of my classmates in these two days. I hope that students will learn more about BMW Brilliance through the extensive recruitment channels of BMW Brilliance, and hope that all students can join us in the future.”

Student contestants expressed various feelings on the event, ranging from excitement about their first-time experience in the Hackathon and the innovative production line to fascination by the possibility of creativity. Yet they all shared a consensus that it was a valuable chance to put knowledge into practice and would remain a precious episode of their school life.

Looking forward, BMW Brilliance will continue to uphold digitalization and sustainability as its core strategy and talent as its core competitiveness. Always vibrant in innovation, the company will further strengthen its dedication to “In China, for China, and for the World” with a more diversified product lineup, outstanding production capacity and stronger R&D expertise.