The Volkswagen Group and CGI have announced an expanded global collaboration to bolster Volkswagen’s IT infrastructure and accelerate digitalisation. This strategic move includes the launch of MARV1N, an international development unit dedicated to supporting Volkswagen’s digital transformation and streamlining its software development processes.
As Volkswagen continues to modernise its IT landscape, the company aims to replace hundreds of legacy systems with fewer, more scalable solutions by 2026. This initiative is expected to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve system performance across all Volkswagen brands. Strengthening software development capabilities is a key part of this transformation, achieved through the expansion of international subsidiaries and strategic partnerships.
Hauke Stars, Board Member at Volkswagen Group for IT, highlighted the importance of advanced IT systems in modern automotive development.
“For the development and production of modern products, we need modern IT systems. At the Volkswagen Group, we are therefore working on our system landscape of the future: powerful, cross-brand, and scalable. Our deepened collaboration with CGI is a further step to secure the increasing demand for software development performance in the Volkswagen Group.”
The role of MARV1N
To drive this initiative, Volkswagen Group and CGI have launched MARV1N, a wholly owned subsidiary of CGI Germany, which will focus exclusively on Volkswagen’s IT development projects. The unit is expected to enhance Volkswagen’s ability to develop new IT solutions more efficiently, ensuring seamless digitalisation across its operations.
François Boulanger, President and CEO of CGI, emphasised the partnership’s strategic significance:
“Through this strategic partnership, we will further deepen our strong relationship with Volkswagen as we collaborate to accelerate Volkswagen Group’s business outcomes in line with their digitalisation vision and strategy. Our software architects, developers, and consultants will deliver services and solutions grounded in both technology expertise and knowledge of manufacturing business processes. We look forward to bringing CGI’s proven best practices, global capabilities, and technology innovation to this new joint initiative.”
The Volkswagen Group anticipates several key advantages from this strengthened partnership. Faster software development cycles will be achieved through dedicated MARV1N teams working exclusively on Volkswagen projects, significantly reducing software development timelines. Deepened expertise and knowledge retention will be facilitated by long-term collaboration, allowing MARV1N employees to develop a profound understanding of Volkswagen’s core processes, leading to more effective and innovative IT solutions. Cross-brand integration ensures that software solutions are developed with a scalable, cross-brand approach, fostering consistency and efficiency across the entire Volkswagen Group.
Initially, MARV1N will concentrate on projects related to Volkswagen’s Technical Development division. A key focus will be the acceleration of data-driven function development for new vehicle projects. One of the primary initiatives involves designing a cross-company IT system to consolidate electrical/electronic architecture and software function data, spanning from pre-series development to after-sales service. This centralised approach is expected to facilitate faster software updates and the introduction of digital products such as Functions on Demand.
