JLR targets Silicon Valley and Israel start-ups as it marks first year of Open Innovation

Strategic partnerships with industry leaders and pioneering start-ups are a cornerstone of JLR’s Reimagine strategy

JLR has marked the first anniversary of its Open Innovation programme by announcing the expansion of its global presence into Israel and Silicon Valley, U.S.A. after successful growth of ecosystems in the UK and Brazil.

In the past year, the Open Innovation programme has engaged with over 600 start-ups globally, resulting in 27 co-creation projects. Meanwhile, InMotion Ventures, JLR’s corporate venture capital arm, and an essential part of the company’s Open Innovation ecosystem, has invested in seven companies focused on providing more sustainable products and services.

Two examples of Open Innovation’s success to date have come from Latin America, where, during the year, two new mobility subscription services were launched in Brazil: Jaguar On Demand, a short-term rental service for Jaguar I-PACE, and Subscription, a vehicle leasing service.

Jaguar On Demand was created in collaboration with start-up UCorp. Initially launched for the São Paulo area, the offer will be expanded to other regional capitals in Brazil throughout 2023.

Subscription was designed in partnership with Movida, a Brazilian vehicle rental specialist and offers leasing options up to 36 months on over 250 vehicles from the Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar brands.

This emerging portfolio of new mobility services mirrors JLR’s success with Pivotal and The Out, which are providing UK clients with new ways of accessing vehicles through subscriptions and rental services. Both services have been developed by InMotion Ventures Studio, JLR’s own incubator.

Igor Murakami, Director New Services and Open Innovation for JLR, said: “These two new services explore exciting usage models to serve the fast-growing luxury market, not only across Latin America, but beyond and clearly show the benefits of working hand-in-hand with start-ups to drive innovation. Co-creating in this way, on everything from new software solutions to designing sustainable alternatives for our vehicles and services, is an essential part of our vision for the future.”

The year ahead

JLR’s Open Innovation programme was set up in 2022, to deliver global collaboration with start-ups, scale-ups, like-minded external organisations and the wider Tata Group, exploring opportunities in seven key areas: Electrification, Connectivity, Digital Services, Metaverse, Industry 4.0, Talent and Sustainability.

Now going into its second year, Open Innovation is expanding further, into Israel and Silicon Valley, U.S.A, where thriving start-up ecosystems are in place.

An increased footprint in the notorious Silicon Valley with global partner Plug and Play Tech Centre will help JLR accelerate its collaboration with North American start-ups, while partnering with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Tel Aviv will expand its access to the powerful Israeli start-up scene. This new partnership will leverage TCS’ Co-Innovation Network (COIN™) to identify local technology offerings and scale them to global mobility solutions and services and generate further shared value and synergies within the Tata Ecosystem.

François Dossa,Executive Director of Strategy and Sustainability at JLR, said: “While Silicon Valley needs no introduction, a presence in Israel opens the door to another powerhouse of global innovation, with disruptive start-ups and an economy dominated by industrial high-tech and entrepreneurship.”

“By targeting thriving ecosystems, it will help us maximise return. Having this strategic presence in such renowned tech regions strengthens our relationships with start-ups, scale-ups, corporate entities, investors, and academia, to help define the future of the mobility sector; itself a vital building block in our Reimagine strategy.”

Ben Gilad, Head, TCS COIN™, said: “We are pleased to be working with JLR, leveraging our global innovation ecosystem to help accelerate their transformation and growth. With the automotive industry transitioning into electrification, innovation is the key differentiator for success.”

“We look forward to collaborating to identify new technologies in the area to help drive the future of mobility and modern luxury. We encourage Israeli start-ups and innovators to get involved.”