BMW's youth camp highlights new emphasis on strategic CSR

A BMW executive and guests at the press conference for the opening of the BMW Next Mobility Youth Camp on Monday in Beijing. Photos Provided to China Daily

Liu Zhi, president of BMW China Automotive Trading Ltd, speaks at the event.

In line with its Strategy Number One>Next, BMW China has initiated a youth camp to explore urban mobility solutions in future and demonstrate the strengthening of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

Launched on Monday in Beijing, the BMW Next Mobility Youth Camp is the premium carmaker's new CSR program after upgrades to the strategy.

"We are focusing on shouldering more social responsibility and generating more social value through utilizing the company's influence and core advantages," said Liu Zhi, president of BMW China Automotive Trading Ltd.

"The BMW Next Mobility Youth Camp demonstrates the innovations to our CSR activities, based on an entirely new way of thinking."

The three-year-long youth camp is a completely new CSR project encouraging university students, and young planners and designers to develop and share new ideas, and participate in and practice urban mobility.

BMW Warm Heart Fund is working with the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries at this camp, with the aim of inspiring young innovative talents to use holistic thinking to develop balanced and sustainable mobility.

The activity is expected to collect creative ideas for a people-oriented and livable city that would provide a range of efficient mobility options and would implement leading technology in car sharing, intelligent transport and making use of local knowledge.

The Munich-headquartered group believes the future of the nation lies in its youth who will take a leading role in the future sustainable development of society.

As a responsible corporate citizen deeply rooted in China, BMW has been carrying out diverse CSR activities in developing and educating the younger generation and in promoting their innovative strengths.

Strategic CSR

As it celebrated its centenary in Munich earlier this year, BMW Group revealed its Strategy Number One>Next, which is dedicated to providing sustainable solutions to future mobility while developing green and safe products and optimizing mobility services.

The group intends to remain a driving force with a clear focus on people and their environment, and to deliver groundbreaking and responsible solutions.

As a world-leading premium mobility provider, BMW Group values CSR as part of its sustainable development and the CSR upgrades were made in China and globally. The major change was a plan to transform from straightforward charity to strategic CSR.

BMW will address social issues in local communities and thus generate lasting and sustainable results, by giving full play to core competencies, including advanced mobility concepts and services, know-how in connected transportation and brand influence.

"Our social engagement will focus on two areas: promoting social and sustainable mobility, and traffic safety," said Liu.

"We are helping people help themselves and each other. The ultimate goal is to promote social inclusion through education, skills development and academic know-how to find long-term solutions to local social challenges."

BMW is committed to being the most sustainable company in the auto industry.

The premium individual mobility provider is setting out a framework for development over the next five to 10 years, as the automobile sector undergoes major changes.

"The company visions that mobility in the future is going to be electrified, intelligently connected and automated," Liu said.

"Now BMW is a brand offering several outstanding new energy vehicle models in China, operating a charging network of more than 1,000 connected public facilities, and having run more than 8,000 kilometers of road tests on highly automated driving."

BMW China unveiled its new energy strategy earlier this month at the 2016 Chengdu International Motor Show, together with six stunning new energy vehicles of the BMW i family which have added driving pleasure to sustainable e-mobility.

haoyan@chinadaily.com.cn

Program aims to inspire creative young minds

Themed Reimagine Mobility in Future Cities

To generate new ideas on mobility solutions to the Sanlitun area in Beijing Top 10 teams will join the five-day camp for expert panel's further instructions

One awarded proposal and three excellent proposals

Top 10 proposals to be handed to local government for reference

Members of the expert panel were selected through two rounds of reviews

(China Daily 09/22/2016 page14)