2024 BMW Fellows continue to advance the sustainability agenda at Plant Oxford!
BMW Group MINI Plant Oxford has collaborated for a second year with Oxford University’s SDG Impact Lab to develop fresh insights into sustainable practices at the Plant.
This year, 13 postgraduates have worked together in interdisciplinary teams to undertake field research at the Plant in four areas: Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence (A.I), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Leadership and Culture.
These areas feed into BMW's strategic framework for the future of Plant Oxford which identifies key research questions about how the Plant's operations can be more sustainable, resource-efficient and circular, and also explores the active use of digitalisation and A.I. The BMW Fellows also researched behavioural and cultural change, and leadership development within the organisation, and worked on enhancing a CSR Framework developed in a previous project.
The Fellows will now prepare their findings and recommendations to present to the senior BMW leadership team at a final showcase at the Plant later this month.
“We’re so pleased to be able to build on this important partnership and help deliver a shared aspiration to have a positive social and environmental impact on our city and our community. This collaboration enables our students to be part of that story, applying their talents to address practical challenges of both global and local importance.” - Professor Alex Betts, co-founder of the SDG Impact Lab and University Local and Global Engagement Officer
“Being an Oxford SDG Impact Lab Fellow at the BMW-MINI plant was an unparalleled experience and one of the highlights of my time at Oxford. As an engineering fan, it was incredible to delve into the intricacies of BMW-MINI’s production line. The support and commitment to our learning from both the Lab and BMW made this an invaluable opportunity, one for which I am immensely grateful." - Ian Pimenta, United States, MSc in Energy Systems
“The SDG Lab was the highlight of my experience at Oxford, and the Field Lab was a wonderful culmination of that process. It was great to see the lessons from the Masterclasses in action, and the amount of buy-in we had from BMW to act as experts was commendable. This was an excellent way to transition from a degree program back into the work world!" - Paula Camino Morgada, Peru, MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy
“I had a great experience during the Field Lab, thanks to the support from the SDG Lab team and the guidance from our mentors at BMW MINI Plant! Engaging with senior leadership, the local community, and others allowed us to deeply explore corporate social responsibility (CSR) to try and find ways to make these efforts even more impactful.” - Reema Mohammed, Maldives, MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy
