6th Day of Innovation: TPV launches an open platform for innovations
This year, company TPV celebrates its 30th anniversary, which made the programme of the 6th Day of Innovation of TPV Group, the event where TPV Group presents their innovative activities and achievements of the previous year and points out the trends and novelties in this field, particularly rich. At this opportunity, TPV launched their own open platform called TPV Innovation Station to acquire new ideas and connect with external partners.
Mr. Marko Gorjup, MSc, Director – President of the Management TPV d.o.o., held the opening speech, where he stressed the decisive role the innovations play in ensuring competitiveness to companies, and by saying »when the innovative minds unite, the ideas do not only add up, but also multiply« he pointed out the need to open and cooperate in this field to the greatest extent possible. In TPV they are aware of this so they have been systematically developing, promoting and remunerating innovations at all levels of operations involving all employees for many years now. As of today, their innovation system is opening outwards by launching a new platform called TPV Innovation Station and inviting organisations and individuals to create together the mobility of the future.
The idea of connecting and opening was supported also by the main speaker at the event, dr. Johannes Reindl, Head of Strategy and Processes Innovation Management, Purchasing, BMW Group, who in his lecture demonstrated the impact of innovations on changes in the automotive industry and the way BMW addresses this area.
The presentation was followed by a round table discussion on »Innovative platform and open innovation« with dr. Johannes Reindl, BMW Group, prof. dr. Marko Munih, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, and prof. dr. Marko Jaklič, Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana. Under the guidance of Krunoslav Šimrak, Director of Research and Development in TPV, the participants explained in more details the advantages and possible ways of cooperating and connecting in the field of innovation, and opening companies outwards. With an exciting launch of space shuttle, the conclusion of the round table transformed into the birth of TPV open platform for innovation called TPV Innovation Station. It represents the ground for the innovative ecological system involving all employees, external partners – faculties, institutes, startup companies, incubators, TPV’s OEM customers, suppliers, etc… – and innovative students, and other individuals who will be in this way given the environment to have their ideas matured and help to make their dreams come true.
Innovativeness is strongly involved in all work processes and mindset of employees in TPV Group. Since they established an effective process of acquiring, encouraging, evaluating and implementing new ideas in 2007, they have received over 13.000 innovative proposals. What is particularly exciting is that the number of submitted proposals is increasing every year and that all employees, not only individuals, are taking active part in this. Last year they submitted over 3.000 innovative ideas. Furthermore, the number of team innovations has increased as well, which is especially optimistic as innovativeness is based right on cooperation and team spirit.
Among the innovative ideas, the Innovation Committee traditionally selects the most valuable proposal submitted by an individual and a team who receive an additional award. At the ceremony, the recognitions and awards for the best innovative ideas were conferred by the director – president of management, Mr. Marko Gorjup and the director – member of management, Mr. Ivan Erenda. According to the Innovation Committee, Predrag Vučinić was the most impressive innovator with the innovative proposal called »Manufacturing of a welding tool for resistance welding on the Daimler project«. The award for the most valuable team innovation was conferred to Blaž Stare, Mišo Pereško, Veljko Goleš, Alen Černelč, Boris Antolovič, Peter Pšeničnik and Jože Gramc for their innovation called »Smart machine – cardboard box assembler with cardboard storage«. Both awarded innovations follow the company’s guidelines and support the company’s vision »Connecting innovative solutions« for they have been implemented in cooperation with at least two business units within the company and are directed towards the automation, search for breakthrough ideas and optimisation of existing processes. They have both contributed to increasing the company’s competitiveness, winning new deals, achieving higher productivity, and improving work ergonomics.
In accordance with strategic guidelines adopted by TPV Group, the further education of employees is besides the innovation system also part of the incentive plan. Therefore, Mr. Marko Gorjup and Mrs. Martina Brec, the HR director, granted recognitions to all employees who finished their education last year: Edvin Jankovič, Davorin Cimermančič, Nino Švab, Matic Muc, Jernej Knežič, Nenad Rađenović, Davor Novak and Boris Menič.
Increase in employees knowledge by learning, researching and exchanging knowledge enhances the competencies of individuals and company. With a view to encouraging such activities TPV has been for many years announcing the call for the Martin Sever Award for the best research thesis, graduate thesis, master thesis, doctoral dissertations, paper thesis and articles relating to the theme of the call. The award for the best master thesis was conferred by Mr. Marko Gorjup and Vladimir Gregor Bahč, the procurator of TPV Group to Boris Menič for the thesis »Estimating durability of dynamically loaded weld joints with anticorrosion protection« (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana).
As every year, TPV was innovative also in the way of passing the awards – this year they were delivered by a space shuttle which is the result of their own development.
The event was in an innovative way spiced up by musicians Anina Trobec and Joseph Wheba, who, especially for this occasion, played an innovative instrument made from parts TPV manufactures for the most demanding car manufacturers.
A proof that TPV’s care for innovativeness is not fruitless and that with the growth in number of submitted proposals their quality grows too, are also 8 innovation awards TPV received last year: a gold recognition and award for the best innovation of people’s choice conferred by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Dolenjska and Bela krajina Region, two gold and one silver recognition for innovation by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Dolenjska and Bela krajina Region, a gold and bronze recognition by the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Posavje Region, and a silver recognition by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Štajerska Region. In future, the company is going to focus their innovative strength even more intensively on the area of automation and robotization, digitization, cloud management, and innovation platform.
ABOUT TPV GROUP:
TPV Group is one of the leading development suppliers operating on the global market of automotive industry. Their core activity, whose main driver is the company TPV d.o.o., is development and production of different components for automotive industry, such as body and chassis assemblies, car seat components and parts, and engine gaskets. Moreover, they develop and provide comprehensive solutions for production logistics management, where the automated guided vehicles, which are result of their own development, are one of the key products. The company is located in five sites in Slovenia– Novo mesto, Brežice, Suhor, Velika Loka and Ptuj – and one site in Kragujevac, Serbia. Due to the needs of customers, they intend to extend their production processes to new markets in the following years.
They are globally recognized as a development and pre-development supplier in the automotive industry. Their development services are purchased by most demanding OEMs for their premium brands like BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Land Rover, Renault etc. TPV develops products which have a significant impact on the driving dynamics, safety, ecology and driving comfort.
The TPV Group is besides TPV d.o.o. composed of TPV Prikolice d.o.o., TPV Avto d.o.o. and TPV Šumadija d.o.o,, extending their field of operation to sales of new and used cars, program of comprehensive services for car users and program of light car trailers. The latter are developed and produced jointly with the German partner Böckmann. TPV is also one of the partners in the development company called SiEVA, who develops technological competencies and takes part in various research projects.
TPV Group revenue: 153 mio € (2017)
Employees: 1.205 (2017)
