These hybrid engineers are helping Continental develop its foray into intelligent intersections, an advanced safety concept of interwoven vehicle communications that uses data from buildings and other vehicles to be able to see what’s coming around the corner, whether pedestrians or oncoming autos.
Continental believes that ideas for product enhancements and new technologies come not just from grand R&D initiatives, but from the suggestions of its employees. The company encourages a free interchange of ideas through an online portal it calls “Conti-vation.”
Employees can use the portal to submit an idea, and colleagues from around the world are able to discuss it, determining whether it’s valid, practical or technologically feasible. The back-and-forth evaluates the idea, and people can leave comments and blog about it.
A good idea escalates into a campaign, with many of them in play at the same time. Some people will do a campaign around ideas in new materials, while others aim to solve a specific problem.
“It could be anything,” Snow said. “It might be a proposal for changing the company’s processes for recruiting personnel. And other employees will chime in and ask, ‘Have you thought about this or have you considered that?'”
A steering committee of stakeholders shepherds an idea through the process. In time, the idea gets voted on as to whether it’s an innovation Continental should pursue.