We had the honor of hosting Dr. Nikolai Ardey, Head of Volkswagen Group Innovation, in Israel from March 9–14. The visit was packed with startup meetings, strategic discussions, and meaningful follow-ups.
Highlights included:
• A deep-dive session with the Konnect team on ongoing PoCs in Israel.
• A keynote speech at the launch of the Konnect Innocar.
• Meetings with top Israeli startups and VW Group suppliers, including Mobileye (where he joined an autonomous test drive in the ID. Buzz), Mentee Robotics, Inpris, Hydrox, and BabyArk,
Focus areas throughout the visit included Autonomous Driving, Sustainability, and Quantum Computing.
A special moment was Nikolai’s meeting with 25 professionals from the WOMEM Group—the Israeli CEO Academy for Women in Mobility, Manufacturing, and Energy. As a leading partner of the Academy, Konnect supports the inclusion of more women CEOs in these traditional sectors.
The visit concluded at Yad Vashem’s Legacy and Collection Center in Jerusalem. In 2020, Volkswagen Group, along with Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bahn, Mercedes-Benz, and Borussia Dortmund, donated €5 million toward the center’s establishment.
