AIR's mission – finding the next big thing
What does it mean to have an edge? To be number one? The best, the fastest? In a literal sense, having an edge means being one step ahead. For Audi, that means finding the right way to respond to global megatrends in the fields of digitization, sustainability, and urbanization. These decisions have a big impact on a customer's living space, their wishes and visions, and ultimately will define the future of mobility.
Audi Innovation Research analyzes these trends and takes a close look at what they mean for the Audi brand, researching and designing innovations that have the potential to revolutionize mobility. Within AIR's offices in China, teams are chipping away at the drivers of societal change and coming up with new ways to capture this “edge through technology” – now and in the future.
The AIR Office in China – AIR Beijing
For Audi China is the most important market - by far, this makes the expectations of the local customers to the key point. China is developing at an incredible speed. The country has triggered a fundamental change and is leaving the old clichés behind: Copying was yesterday; the cliché of the so-called “workbench to the world” is passé. On the contrary: China is becoming a driver of innovation. Meanwhile, about a third of all patent applications now come from China. In Beijing, well known as the country’s media and high-tech hub, one feels the fast pace and the contrast of tradition and progress.
The Team
Haiwei Bai (Odin)
Team coordinator
Hi, I'm Haiwei Bai (Odin) and I am leading the research activities of AIR team since the beginning of 2023. With over 13 years's experience in market research and trend research, I'm thrilled to work with AIR team. It is an inspiring everyday experience when we listen to and talk to our experts, customers, trend receivers and others in Chinese market. As China is the biggest single market for Audi, our mission is to be the ambassador of Chinese customers and ensure their voices are heard within Audi.
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Innovation happens every second in China with an increasing number of fascinating brands and products. It's very fulfilling to bring innovative insights from China to the globe.”
Haiwei Bai
Sun Lin (Laetitia)
Market Research Analyst
I'm Laetitia and joined AIR Beijing as senior research analyst in May 2022. In the last 12 years, I grew up amidst the changing auto market, witnessed new emerging trends and believe that the field of customer reseach is so fascinating and worth exploring. As a cutomer-centric brand, Audi will continue to provide premium experiences for our Chinese customers.
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It is an era of radical innovation in the automotive industry and we will take the lead by providing deeper insights which bring together the Chinese customers’ voice and Audi.”
Sun Lin
Jingjing Ji
Market Research Analyst
Hello I'm Jingjing! I have been devoted to market research since 2012. With a background in psychology and sociology, I have always held special interest in observing and understanding the customer's mind. I have worked with many brands that targeted premium consumers, and I leverage my knowledge and experience in my work here at AIR team.
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What an exciting time to be part of the automobile industry right now! It is changing in light-speed and we’re going to dive right in!”
Jingjing Ji
Xianyang Wu (Nigel)
Market Research Analyst
My name is Wu Xianyang, I joined AIR Beijing in Nov 2022. I hold a master's degree in management at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. With knowledge of both German and Chinese societies, automotive industries and their markets, my work bridges Ingolstadt and Beijing, deepens the understanding of the highly dynamic Chinese automotive market, and fuels innovations that drive Vorsprung at Audi.
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The Chinese automotive market is developing at a unprecedented speed, our job safeguards that Audi leads in innovation, progressiveness and premiumness in the competition.“
Xianyang Wu
AIR team coordination
Frank Dieminger
Walking new paths and shaping them; this is what is driving me. At Audi I am able to live this passion since 2011: first of all, within the Technical Development division in the area of sustainable product development, later on, within the sales division. The constant of my career is my sense for new business models linked to the expertise to test and implement them.
This background led me to Audi Innovation Research in 2017. Here, I can combine my knowledge with the challenge of coordinating our team’s efforts, defining synergies and deriving solutions for our international markets.
Approach and Projects
Explore. Analyze. Transfer. The AIR Office in Beijing explores the Chinese market and its development. Audi gets a behind-the-scenes peek into the customer’s world through interviews, workshops, and collaboration with trend receivers. This collected information is then analyzed and transferred between departments.
