Chrysler 2013 Annual Report Download - page 84

83
Report on
Operations
RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
Fiat Group is committed to meeting the mobility needs of customers, while reducing the environmental and social impact of vehicles over their
entire life cycle. The Group’s global research and innovation activities are focused on developing solutions for increasingly sustainable mobility,
by reducing fuel consumption and emissions, improving vehicle recyclability and safety, and developing new models of mobility. Continuous
innovation is essential to development of products that are environmentally and socially sustainable, as well as affordable.
Innovating for Sustainable Products and Processes
In 2012, the Group launched the Global Innovation Process (GIP), which establishes a common framework for the coordination of all innovation
activities worldwide.
Developed in collaboration with, and on the basis of, input from the Group’s four operating regions, the GIP covers all phases of the innovation
process, from idea generation to pre-competitive development. As part of that process, guidelines and targets are then formalized in the
Strategic Agenda.
The process is coordinated centrally by the Chief Technology Officer who, as a member of the Group Executive Council, ensures alignment
of the innovation process with the Group’s strategic objectives, as well as synergies and transfer of new solutions across the Group’s global
product portfolio.
At year-end 2013, the Group’s Research and Innovation activities involved some 18,700 individuals at 78 centers worldwide.
During the year, the Group invested approximately €3.4 billion in R&D(1), representing around 4% of net revenues from Industrial Activities.
The Group’s innovation activities have generated a significant intellectual property portfolio over the years and, at year-end 2013, it had a total
of 8,521 registered patents.
Patents – Fiat Group worldwide (no.)
Patents registered at 31 December 2013 8,521
of which: registered in 2013 425
Patents pending at 31 December 2013 3,333
of which: new patent applications filed in 2013 459
Centers of Excellence
Centro Ricerche Fiat (CRF), headquartered in Orbassano (Turin, Italy), was established in 1978 as a focal point for Fiat Group’s research and
innovation activities and it is a recognized center of excellence at the international level. The Center’s mission is to continuously improve the
Group’s competitiveness through the development of innovative solutions, processes and methodologies. All research activities are carried out
in coordination with the Group’s technical areas and operating regions. CRF draws on technical skills and know-how covering the full spectrum
of automotive engineering disciplines and is equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories for testing powertrain systems, analyzing materials and
electromagnetic compatibility, and conducting noise and vibration analyses and driving simulations.
The Chrysler Group Automotive Research and Development Centre (ARDC) opened in May 1996 in partnership with the University of
Windsor in Canada and serves as an illustration of what can be achieved when industry, academia and government work together. The ARDC is
equipped with six road-test simulators and a range of research and development support facilities, including the Automotive Coatings Research
Facility, the Automotive Lighting Research Facility and the Vehicle Recycling Laboratory.
(1) Includes capitalized R&D and R&D charged directly to the income statement.