11.07.2019 Press release

TOA Berlin 2019: Hyundai hosts panel discussion about future mobility

  • Hyundai Motor hosted an illuminating panel discussion at TOA Berlin 2019: ‘Driving Change – How CRADLE is shaping the way Hyundai prepares for change’
  • Talking points discussed included the challenges future mobility poses to automakers, and how brands like Hyundai are tackling them
  • Panellists taking part were Karsten Thoms (Hyundai Motor Group), Edvin Eriksen (Hyundai CRADLE Berlin) and Linda Stannieder (Brandlab)
  • TOA Berlin is Europe’s leading technology festival; this year’s event took place from 2-5 July

Press material

With the automotive industry currently in the midst of change, Hyundai Motor hosted an illuminating panel discussion about the future of a mobility provider at TOA Berlin.

TOA Berlin, Europe’s leading technology festival, took place on 4 July at Funkhaus Berlin. The panellists discussed the current challenges automakers like Hyundai face and the steps they are taking to tackling them. With smart cities and AI set to play a key role in the future of automobiles, the future of the car industry in an ever more connected world was also debated.


The panel discussion, titled ‘Driving Change – How CRADLE is shaping the way Hyundai prepares for change’, featured panelists Karsten Thoms, General Manager of Hyundai Motor Group Design Management Team, Edvin Eriksen, Head of Hyundai CRADLE Berlin and Linda Stannieder, Founding Partner and MD of Brandlab. It was hosted by moderator Carrie Shuler, co-founder of Stark Mobility Inc.

The mobility market as we know it is changing rapidly as are our customer’s mind set, focusing on sharing economy and hassle free mobility solutions among others. Therefore, brands like Hyundai are not meant to be simply car manufacturers, but transitioning into service providers who provide holistic solutions for what individual customers need. Thanks to its size and the different fields it is operating, such as steel, trains, public transport, Fuel Cell and construction, Hyundai has the opportunity to shape a new progressive future to serve its customers’ needs even beyond the known mobility solutions. Hyundai is moving the customer to the centre of its focus. This also means the company is asking itself whether customers still need the mobility solutions that are offered today, or even tomorrow, in the future. From autonomous driving, to future energy solutions and smart cities, modern technology offers a range of possibilities to shape the future.

Karsten Thoms General Manager of Hyundai Motor Group Design Management Team

Technological hubs like Hyundai CRADLE work with startups to enable complexity and serve as sources of innovation and ideas. We do this by working across different cities, cultures and continents. While other automakers are still talking about future mobility, Hyundai is already making huge investments in new solutions and technologies to prepare for the future. As Head of CRADLE Berlin, I am proud to be part of and leading this change here in Europe.

Edvin Eriksen Head of Hyundai CRADLE Berlin

About the panellists


Karsten Thoms is General Manager of Hyundai Motor Group Design Management Team and an experienced design strategist and creative visionary. He has a background in concept development, brand shaping through design and future mobility scenario development.


Edvin Eriksen is Head of Hyundai CRADLE Berlin, the corporate venturing and open innovation business of Hyundai Motor Group. Before this, he spent six years in Silicon Valley and 12 years in Germany working with a variety of startups.


Linda Stannieder is Founding Partner and MD of Brandlab, an agency for spatial and digital branding. In cooperation with Hyundai, Volocopter and more, Brandlab has been shaping brands in mobility, work and AI-driven brand building.


Moderator Carrie Shuler is co-founder of Stark Mobility Inc and currently Chapter Lead of the SoGal Foundation.


About TOA


TOA Berlin is Europe’s Leading Technology Festival. Its mission is to help people future-proof their businesses and lives. TOA stands for ‘Tech Open Air’, and this year’s festival took place from 2-5 July at Funkhaus Berlin.


TOA believes that technology is transforming the way we work, live and relate. It is informed by the belief that we can only take advantage of the opportunities technology creates by understanding it.

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