A Global Partnership
Our mission is to strengthen and expand BMW Group and QUT’s partnership through three bespoke programs; Internships, Research and Special Projects.
Our vision is to create a hub that focuses on Fostering Design Excellence, Exploring Knowledge Horizons and Advancing Cutting-Edge Technologies. We aspire to position design and creativity as an unparalleled and indispensable skillset for the worlds best organisations.
BMW Group (BMW, Rolls Royce and Mini) is a Global Fortune 100 company and is the world’s leading manufacturer of premium automobiles, motorcycles, and provider of premium financial and mobility services headquartered in Munich, Germany. Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a leading Australian university and is a national leader in collaborative industry research and teaching located in Brisbane, Australia.
The BMW Group + QUT Design Academy is the culmination of a long-term partnership between BMW Group and QUT’s School of Design. The academy is a design hub for advanced learning, cutting-edge research and R+D projects focused on the application of emerging technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and robotics among others. The academy is a partnership between BMW Group in Germany and QUT in Australia and is run and administered by QUT from its Gardens Point campus in Brisbane, Australia.
The Design Academy
The BMW Group + QUT Design Academy is founded on three pillars; Internships, Research and Special Projects. The Internship program offers QUT undergraduate design students an opportunity to advance their learning through real-world projects, and provides a pathway for paid internship placements at BMW Group in Munich, Germany. The Research program initiates a progressive research agenda for PhD and MPhil students focused on design thinking and expertise, emerging technologies, industry 4.0, and visionary human-machine interfaces. The Special Projects program is tailored for professional design graduates to facilitate BMW Group and QUT to work on advanced R+D projects for real-world applications. Find out more about our bespoke programs through the menu links.
The academy is a bespoke teaching and research workspace that provides real-world opportunities for QUT design students, graduates and researchers to hone their design skills, advance their learning and education, and work on cutting-edge projects with the world’s leading premium automotive company, BMW Group. The academy team at QUT work directly with BMW Group in Munich across a variety of emerging technology areas to help develop world-first innovations for real-world applications. QUT students, graduates and researchers also have the opportunity to work directly with BMW Group through the academy via our unique program offerings.
Achievements
QUT School of Design and BMW Group have collaborated since 2016, when the first QUT design student, Dylan Sheppard, was accepted for an internship at BMW in Munich. Since then the internship program has grown substantially to include 25 interns, with numbers increasing year on year.
The broader partnership has also flourished through various collaborations leading to the establishment of the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy in 2020. To the right is a list of some of the key accomplishments over the years.
2018
Memorandum of Understanding between BMW Group and QUT signed in 2018
BMW Group collaboration with QUT Industrial Design design degree program
2019
Statement of Intent between BMW Group and QUT signed in 2019
QUT alumnus (Dylan Sheppard) signed a lifetime contract with BMW Group in 2019
2020
Founding of the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy
23 design students and graduates accepted for paid internships at BMW Group in Munich (since 2016)
QUT alumni, Jordan Domjahn and Michael Williams, employed as Design Associates for the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy 2020
Launch of the Internship, Research and Special Projects programs
Intake of first ever Work Integrated Learning students through Internship program
Launch of 1 x PhD and 1 x MPhil fully funded scholarships through Research program
BMW Group founds IDEALworks. BMW Group + QUT Design Academy plays central role through the Special Projects Program.
2021
James Dwyer is confirmed as MPhil student under the Research Program
Intake of semester 1, 2021 Work Integrated Learning students through internship program
Intake of semester 1, 2021 Impact Lab students on BMW Group + QUT Design Academy projects
Publication of inaugural BMW Group + QUT Design Academy 2020 Photobook
