Case Study: Siemens AG achieves crowdsourced mobility innovation and a drone-based parking solution with Planview Spigit

Crowdsourcing Solutions To Turn Gridlock Into Green Lights

Siemens, a 170‑year‑old global technology leader with more than 29,000 R&D staff and billions invested in innovation, sought new ways to tackle urban traffic challenges—like congestion, parking inefficiencies and the sector’s carbon footprint. Despite a strong internal R&D function, the company needed a single platform that business units could use for innovation programs and that could coherently engage non‑employees to surface fresh ideas.

Siemens launched the Mobility IDEA Contest on the Spigit platform, inviting professionals, students and the public to submit, comment on and vote for solutions to five traffic problems. The crowd‑driven process produced three student finalists; the winning idea proposed using quadcopters to locate open parking, map the shortest route and guide drivers via app or vehicle systems. Siemens awarded prizes and university software grants, plans a prototyping workshop for the drone concept, and continues to use Spigit for internal innovation challenges.

Siemens AG

Ben Collar

Director of R&D