Disruptiver Wandel der Automobilindustrie durch autonome Fahrsysteme - Reaktionsstrategien für etablierte Automobilhersteller

This thesis investigates response strategies of incumbent automotive companies are facing a disruptive change initiated by autonomous driving systems. Autonomous vehicles promise to bring great benefits to society, a promising business opportunity for mobility providers, but at the same time facing the incumbent automotive industry with the greatest technological challenge they ever had to manage. Technology companies are entering the industry as new competitors. They have started the autonomous system development hype, are well funded and able to attract crucial software talents.

This thesis analyze how incumbent OEM react to the disruptive change and why they use the strategic instrument acquisition. The research covers which internal and external challenges are being faced by incumbent OEM. Furthermore, an explanation of the role of corporate spin-offs, accompanying the technology company acquisition, is being given. This work also argues why autonomous driving systems can be located within the disruptive innovation theory. The research body on disruptive innovation provides different theories on how to classify a disruption. This thesis argues that autonomous driving system can be identified as High-end disruption as defined by Govindarains and Kopalles. Christensen propose three response strategies for incumbent companies to react to a disruption. This research focus on two of the strategies, the acquisition and spin-off, as both being identified as relevant based on market observation of incumbent automotive companies.

The empirical analysis is based on 16 expert interviews and four case studies of incumbent automotive companies, which acquired autonomous driving technology companies. The results indicate that incumbent OEM using the strategic response tool acquisition are able to hold up with technology companies, if they consider specific success factors for the implementation. The case studies also show that the response strategy does not necessarily lead to success. Incumbent firms are able to respond to disruption if they identify the threat early, acquire the right target and setup a balanced collaboration.