Innovation should come from industries that are external to your own, as well as within a sector, says Klas Bendrik, the chief information officer at Volvo.

Innovation should come from industries that are external to your own, as well as within a sector, the chief information officer at Volvo Klas Bendrick said today.

Speaking at the Retail Week Technology and Ecommerce Summit, Bendrik said the work the company has done on its internet-connected cars has been informed by other industries, such as retail and telecommunications. “It’s interesting how the collaborations with other industries have developed the project,” he said.

Services such as its roam delivery service, which enables shoppers to have their goods delivered to their cars, have used information and knowledge from external industries in their development.

Volvo has been on a journey over the last few years, Bendrik added, as it worked on connected cars and tries to refresh its business model in a connected world.

He said: “We could never have done this without leveraging skills from retail and the telecommunications industry. 80% of our IT skills come from outside the automotive industry. That makes magic when it comes to driving innovation. That has been one of our key learnings.”

Volvo has approached connected cars by thinking about how its services can improve people’s day-to-day lives, and has tried to think about the ‘eco-system’ around its cars.

Bendrik said: “There’s a huge interest in these types of solutions where you actually address day to day challenges and add convenience for people in the eco-system around the vehicle. This is taking the automotive industry to the next level.”

Services such as apps that provide a map of where your car is, making sure you don’t forget where you parked, are only the start, he added.

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