Industrial promotion: From research directly to vehicle development. In conversation with PhD student Phillip.

Phillip is a PhD student at BMW and part of our ProMotion programme. He is researching Generative Artificial Intelligence in vehicle development and exploring how AI can be used precisely for engineering purposes. In this interview, he gives us exciting insights into his PhD at the BMW Group, discusses collaboration among our PhD students, and offers valuable tips for future applicants.

"There were a few! A particularly memorable highlight was of course the Doctoral Educational Trip to China. Together with about 25 other PhD students, we spent over two weeks in Shenyang, Shanghai, and Nanjing. We visited the facilities of the BMW Joint Venture, attended conferences, and talked with Chinese colleagues. It’s fascinating to see how work is done there, and it also contributed a lot to my own work, since I supervise several Chinese students myself. Another experience was the restructuring of our department in the first year of my PhD. Even though it was really challenging at times to carry out a full departmental reorganisation, it was exciting to witness. I also attended various conferences, such as in Porto and more recently in Amsterdam, where I continually had inspiring exchanges."

"The network is, to me, a valuable platform run by PhD students for PhD students. It brings together about 150 participants of the ProMotion programme from a wide range of disciplines and countries. Here you find not only professional exchange but also support with any challenges.

What is truly enriching is that you also make friendships that endure after the PhD. For me, it was a great opportunity to gain new perspectives and to build valuable contacts."

"I work in the Digitalisation and AI in Development department, which focuses on integrating artificial intelligence into vehicle development. I am especially fascinated by the combination of technical innovation and direct practical application. It’s not just about developing any AI, but making it deliberately usable in practice. What’s especially exciting to me is how clever solutions can be created with limited resources – that is a challenging and exciting pursuit for me."

"We regularly host so-called fireside chats and meetings, which also include executives. A particular highlight was the exchange with our CEO Oliver Zipse in December of last year, where we doctoral students had the opportunity to speak with him in a relaxed setting and ask questions. Such meetings are a great opportunity to engage directly with the leadership, gain deeper insights, and share updates on his own research. This keeps our community very lively and exciting."

"It was fairly straightforward for me because, before the end of the programme, I already had an offer from the team that wanted to take me on. It is important to clearly communicate where you want to go before finishing your PhD and to ensure that it also fits academically with your dissertation."

"I would really recommend ProMotion to anyone who wants to combine research with practical application! The program provides the opportunity to test results directly in practice, receive valuable feedback, and gain insights into how a large company works."