Donald A.Hillebrand, The Columnist Phd President SAE International


Innovation shows the way


perfectly captures the essence of innovation. He wrote: “Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.” That especially rings true for


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mobility engineering. And, it seems that more times than not, the forward progress of innovation leads to winning moves. But that innovation needs to


continue; we need to create environments that nurture innovative thinking and enable today’s professionals to take risks risks that lead to better ideas. Recently, I read an article in The


Economist that talked about how the accumulation of knowledge and data is increasing, but innovation may be flattening out. If that indeed is the case, then changes must be made. Think about how the mobility


engineering industry has evolved over the years; think about the advancements that have been achieved in safety and efficiency, all because of innovative thinking. Examples can be found


everywhere, especially in the work that SAE International and its members have done over the years. SAE’s technical standards, both for aerospace and ground vehicle, are


May/June 2013


he 17th-century German writer and artist Goethe had a quote that, to me,


considered to be premier documents around the world. The technical guidelines they provide help organisations and companies make better, safer products, many times in a more efficient way. But SAE’s technical standards


aren’t effective and ground-breaking because they relate to technology that already has been developed. Rather, the engineering professionals who help develop them have a keen sense for what kinds of technology are on the horizon and the standards are created to meet that technology. An excellent example of that lies


in the SAE standards created for charging of hybrid and electric vehicles. Development of the standards began before the technology really started to hit the showrooms for consumers’ use. And the new fast-charging coupler standard introduced by SAE International reaches into the next level of technology. But innovation doesn’t just end


with the parts that comprise vehicles or the vehicles themselves, true innovation affects society as a whole. When purchasing a new vehicle,


consumers expect more than just a way to go from one point to another; they expect a full experience that includes safety, reliability, and entertainment. They


www.automotivedesign.eu.com 11


want to incorporate their smartphones into the vehicle itself and be able to access everything they could at home or in the office. Innovation made that possible. Travellers who step onto a


jetliner want the latest in infotainment technology, allowing them to enjoy the flight or get crucial business done as they travel to their intended destination. Innovation made that possible. The truly wonderful thing about


innovation is that there is no end game to it. There is no summit that can be scaled and the journey declared over. Rather, it’s ongoing…as long as we choose to make it ongoing. And that’s the challenge we


have; let’s keep the chess pieces of innovation moving forward in the boardrooms, in the design labs, on the productions floors and within SAE International. If we do, the future of mobility


engineering will shine as bright as its past.


focus@sae.org


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