Groupe Renault - 2020 Universal Registration Document

94 GROUPE RENAULT I UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2020 Find out more at group.renault.com 01 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GROUPE RENAULT Finally, within the Alliance, Renault and Nissan expertise networks review the common skills structure, coordinate regularly to work in synergy on the roadmaps and their implementation on analog scopes, analysis and treatment of identified risks, and support for common developments. Reinforcement of the innovation momentum Open Innovation at Renault The creation of Open Innovation Labs is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s innovation culture and strategy: they enable innovation opportunities to be cultivated based on an open ecosystem comprising start-ups, universities, investors and first- and second-tier suppliers, and a local economy such as local authorities, associations, customers and markets. These labs bring together the three pillars of Open Innovation in one place: the socialization of knowledge (events, conferences, think tanks, P meetups); creativity and innovative design methods (design thinking, P Fablab); and the levers of the new economy (acceleration of start-ups, P open and collaborative approach, platforms). Renault continued its innovation strategy by inaugurating Alliance Innovation Labs in Shanghai (China) and Tel Aviv (Israel) in 2019. The Tel Aviv Alliance Innovation Lab identifies, defines and produces prototypes with Israeli start-ups mainly in the areas of cybersecurity, sensors for ADAS and autonomous vehicles, and data/smart cities. The reinforcement of the innovation network is based on numerous actions: increased technical and scientific synergies within the Alliance to P benefit from shared processes; sharing of collaborative projects co-financed with European P partners; further expansion of the internal ‘Creative Labs’ network to P increase the creativity of Renault employees; broadening of connections with local eco-systems in order to be P closer to new trends in these markets, through emerging start-ups; access to the best performing cutting-edge technologies through P the strategic partnership with the CEA; creation of an autonomous vehicle project platform in Saclay; sharing of research efforts with French partners in industrial and P academic Technological Research Institutes (VeDeCom, SystemX); identification, activation and support for Research skill clusters in P the RTX according to the specific local features and talents associated with new communications and information technologies; broadening of the exchange network with actors in future P mobility, based on Renault’s strategic focuses (electric vehicle, new mobility, connectivity and new associated services). R&D: a unified international organization 1.4.4 Since May 27, 2020, Groupe Renault, Nissan Motor Co, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation have jointly positioned new strategic guidelines within a “leader-follower” business model. The aim of the new business model is to strengthen the efficiency and competitiveness of vehicles and technologies by reference region. It is expected to reduce investment costs for vehicle models by up to 40%. The “leader-follower” model covers three dimensions: vehicle projects, reference regions, and key technologies. The vehicle projects on which the three entities will cooperate aim to increase the use of the Alliance’s common platforms and to strengthen the Alliance’s standardization strategy, from the platform to the complete vehicle. Designation of different parts of the world as “reference regions.” Each company focuses on its key regions in order to be among the most competitive and serve as a benchmark for others, in order to strengthen their own competitiveness. Under this principle, Nissan becomes the benchmark in China, North America and Japan; Renault in Europe, Russia, South America and North Africa; and Mitsubishi Motors in the ASEAN and Pacific countries. Key technologies such as platforms, powertrains, electric motors, autonomous driving technologies, electrical and electronic architecture systems and connectivity are distributed under the leadership of one of the three entities. Renault international engineering centers (RTX) Groupe Renault’s engineering centers are located all over the world in countries such as Spain, Romania, Korea, India, Russia and Latin America. Thanks to their knowledge of local and regional markets, they are tasked with adapting vehicles to customer needs and expectations, local regulatory constraints and national economic situations. Through the application of a skills upgrading policy that continues from year to year, Groupe Renault continuously increases the responsibility of engineering centers for cross-functional activities and enables them to take charge of vehicle project design at an increasingly early stage in the process. This upskilling also enables the most mature RTX to move from regional to more global responsibilities.