Dr. Nikolai Ardey is the Executive Director of Group Innovation at Volkswagen Group. After 18 years at BMW in several positions in the Powertrain department, Nikolai joined Audi as Vice President of Powertrain development. Since 2020 Nikolai serves as the Executive Director of Group Innovation; the future research and innovation arm of the VW Group, supporting Group brands on sustainability, mobility, digital platforms, powertrain, and further innovation topics. Since 2018, Group Innovation plays an active role in the Israeli startup ecosystem through it’s local Innovaion hub- Konnect.