BMW expands China heritage program with new initiatives

German automaker BMW is expanding its long-running cultural heritage program in China with new initiatives focused on artificial intelligence, digital innovation and youth training, as the company deepens its localization strategy in the world's largest auto market.

The moves mark the 20th anniversary of BMW China Culture Journey, one of the Chinese auto industry's longest-running corporate social responsibility programs dedicated to traditional culture preservation.

Launched in 2007, the initiative initially focused on documenting and supporting China's intangible cultural heritage projects.

Over time, however, it has evolved from a conservation-oriented charity effort into a broader innovation platform aimed at helping traditional craftsmanship adapt to modern consumer markets.

BMW said the next phase of the program will focus on four areas, including integrating AI and digital technologies into intangible cultural heritage design, expanding training for young inheritors of traditional crafts, continuing cultural exploration projects along the Grand Canal, and publishing a commemorative book documenting two decades of heritage preservation efforts.

The latest initiatives come as China places increasing emphasis on cultural confidence and the modernization of traditional culture.

"For both century-old automakers and centuries-old cultural traditions, innovation through inheritance is essential," BMW said in a statement.

Over the past two decades, BMW China Culture Journey has visited 25 provinces and regions across the country, supported or trained nearly 1,000 inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, organized 20 forums and nine innovation exhibitions, and reached more than 258 million people, according to the company.

The program has also shifted increasingly toward helping traditional artisans commercialize and modernize their work.

One example is Baika, a former Tibetan herder from Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai province, who joined the Tsinghua Academy of Arts & Design-BMW Intangible Cultural Heritage Innovation Base in 2019.

After completing the program, she helped industrialize traditional Tibetan candy-making techniques and now operates a specialty store in the region.

Another participant, Tao Qiongli, a provincial-level inheritor of Miao embroidery from Yunnan province, worked with professors from Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts & Design to develop cultural products combining BMW design elements with traditional Miao patterns.

The resulting products were designed to make traditional embroidery more compatible with contemporary aesthetics and everyday consumer use.

BMW said future training programs will place greater emphasis on practical commercial skills, including branding, product design, digital content creation, AI tools and social media communication.

The goal, the company said, is to help heritage inheritors move beyond simply preserving traditional skills toward building sustainable cultural businesses that can survive in modern markets.