The number of sensors and digital systems that collect data about operation of aircraft, rail vehicles, locomotives and cars is increasing dramatically, which changes the experience with means of transport for both passengers and drivers. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are changing the basics of how the means of transport has worked so far. Customers who know about new opportunities require more and more means of transport vehicles tailored to their requirements and with intelligent interface that is appropriate today.
In addition, new components and technologies change the way engineers design and develop these devices and resources. This creates additional opportunities that already include research and development costs - allowing manufacturers to better adapt to rapidly changing customer demands.
To develop a new transport vehicle in the past required a lot of tests, inspections and blind trips, for which many prototypes had to be created. For example, the development time of a new car model was close to four years, with the model remaining on the market for about seven years. In the case of aircraft and railway rolling stock, the joint timetable for the development and operation time of the means of transport may be three to four times longer than for car. Taking into account the current pace of technological change it's too long.
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Demand for greater and faster product customization means that engineering companies cooperate more than ever on its development with their customers.
Faster realization of innovations
Digitization fundamentally changes the development environment. It changes its culture by offering online and to a greater extent all traffic data, allowing engineers to make improvements that can be achieved over the course of several months through changes in data algorithms instead of over the years or decades. Therefore, instead of concentrating on breakthrough technologies and new models, engineers can now significantly expand the capabilities of existing vehicles, eg. by updating service software or by adding new sensors.
Vehicle manufacturers can work more like Apple or Samsung and issue software upgrades to improve performance or security of their devices. Regular updates and flexibility provided by digital systems revolutionize what original equipment manufacturers can offer to customers - and what developers can do for it. For example, Tesla can take its electric cars and their digital technologies and the content they have. Since its inception, the electric car company has allowed customers to use technology upgrades they can download and install themselves while their cars are in a garage or park on the street.
Pressure to maintain cutting-edge technology is even more intense for aircraft and rail manufacturers whose products have been in operation for decades. Public transport authorities are beginning to demand faster renewal times for new trains and trams to give passengers the latest comfort and convenience; airlines in turn want to differentiate themselves from their competitors with better adaptability of their aircraft and give customers new opportunities through advanced connectivity.
Impact on development budgets
Ensuring that products keep up with technological advances costs money at a time when most manufacturers are forced to look for savings. As a result, development departments convert resources from traditional R&D to digital and can thus reduce costs and time to bring new product features to market.
Each year, more than € 700 billion in research, development and engineering is earmarked by vehicle manufacturers - what are significant operating costs. By enforcing data-based engineering, there could be a 10% reduction in these costs, with savings likely to increase, the more the means of transport becomes digitized, autonomous and electric.
To make this possible, there will have to be a major change in functioning of existing technical departments.