Volkswagen Middle East announces its first Mobility Challenge in partnership with STEP, challenging young entrepreneurs to find startup ideas that present solutions to everyday mobility challenges. With the rise of smart cities and urban mobility the initiative encourages participants to identify easy-to-implement solutions, in line with Volkswagen’s vision to move people forward.

To register for the Volkswagen Mobility Challenge, please visit: https://stepconference.com/vw-mobility-challenge/

The challenge is now open for online idea submission on the STEP Conference website. Up to 50 individuals will be able to participate, providing competitors with a unique opportunity to network with, and learn from, leading industry entrepreneurs, investors and executives of multinationals in the region.

Bruno Gisquet, Marketing Director for Volkswagen Middle East commented, “Young entrepreneurs today are coming up with market ready, innovative concepts and we are looking forward to seeing the fresh ideas for mobility, especially from a region so clearly focused on SMART solutions. A great example of this is the SMART DUBAI 2021 vision which focuses on enhancing mobility in the city by harnessing autonomous transportation technologies for increased productivity, efficiency and reduced traffic congestion. Our aim is to work with these individuals and bring a concept idea to life through our Volkswagen network.”

The Volkswagen Mobility Challenge will begin with a closed boot camp on February 10, which will include mentorship sessions with key figures in the industry, including Khalifa Laaksonen, CEO of Hoop Mobility, Harrison Jones, Co-founder of YallaParking and representatives from MAGNiTT, Careem and Fetchr.

Teams will then have four days to revise their business plans in order to compete at the public pitch competition taking place at STEP Conference. Judges will evaluate teams based on value proposition, target market, competitive advantage, business model, innovation, scalability, relevance to Mobility, qualifications and market strategy.

The winning group from the challenge will be awarded with a three day trip to the Volkswagen Innovation Workshop at Ideation:hub in Berlin, Germany. Participating teams will receive free tickets to STEP Conference 2020, and the opportunity to enroll in a 6 months paid internship with Audi Volkswagen Middle East Company.

The challenge is in line with a series of pitch competitions conducted by Volkswagen in London, Hanover, Luxembourg, Prague and other cities. The “Future Mobility Incubator” aimed at students and researchers in establishing new projects, has previously selected start-ups developing digital solutions in ride-carpooling for kids, quick payments and gas stations, smart route planning, and more.