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Ford is going to use the Make It Driveable app developers event to award as much as €30,000 to new startups and developers.
The event, to be held in Paris in October, is the culmination of the Ford Connected Vehicle and Services team's eight-city, nine-stop tour to meet with developers and start-ups, and is designed to help Ford reach out to the global developer community to help it create apps that work with the Blue Oval's SYNC on-board infotainment system.
Those selected to participate from earlier events in Amsterdam, Berlin, Istanbul, London, Paris, Stockholm, Tel Aviv and Vienna will have the opportunity to test their apps using Ford hardware, benefit from one-to-one mentor sessions, have access to real customers in focus groups and work directly with Ford engineers to further develop their concepts.
"From making money on deliveries and saving money on insurance, to offering fleets a way to communicate with their drivers, developers are bursting with ideas to help drivers get the most from apps while in their cars," said Scott Lyons, business and partner development, Connected Vehicle and Services, Ford of Europe. "We want to foster that creativity, using Ford's expertise to help developers create new ways to revolutionise mobility."
Developers of in-car apps that target one of four key categories - the multi-connected car, mobility, vehicle data monetisation, and in-car productivity - are eligible to participate. A special "wild card" category is open to apps that target other categories.
Winners will be announced at the Eiffel Tower on October 26th.