Tobias Mohr
Doctoral candidate at the Center for Applied Research in Responsible Innovation (CARRI).
Tobias Mohr completed a dual vocational training programme at BMW AG whilst studying for his Abitur. In recognition of his outstanding achievements, he was awarded the BMW Group’s SpeedUp scholarship, which enabled him to undertake studies for a BSc in Aviation and Automotive Informatics. During his studies, he specialised in the subject area of user experience. Since successfully completing his studies, he has worked in various subject areas within the company. Alongside his professional work, he completed his MSc in Systems Engineering at Hochschule München. He recently took up a new position as Strategy Project Manager in the digital experiences division.
Topic: The economic implications of adaptive UX interfaces in the automotive sector
Principal supervisor: Prof. Dr. Christian Winkler
Interview
My dissertation examines the economic impact of adaptive UX interfaces in the automotive sector. The focus is on user-centred personalisation – in other words, how customisable systems can help manufacturers differentiate themselves from the competition. I am examining various use cases in order to analyse practically-oriented scenarios and derive well-founded recommendations for the automotive industry. I am also particularly interested in the impact on user acceptance, customer loyalty and, ultimately, the resulting business potential.
The idea arose from the intersection of my practical experience in the automotive industry and my professional interest in user-centred technology design. In my professional environment, I have seen just how much digital experiences now help shape brand value – particularly in the interior. At the same time, I realised that personalised user experiences are not only technologically exciting, but also highly relevant to competitiveness from a strategic perspective. This motivated me to explore the topic as part of an academic thesis and to highlight potential opportunities and interrelationships for the industry.
I specifically chose to pursue a doctorate at CARRI because it offers an ideal combination of economic research and practice-oriented innovation. The Dr. rer. pol. degree enables me to explore the economic aspects of adaptive UX systems in depth. Combined with my technical background, this creates an ideal synergy for comprehensively analysing complex issues relating to technology, user experience and business models.
The first step towards finding my Supervisor, Prof. Dr. Winkler, was an initial meeting with the Graduate School, during which I briefly discussed my doctoral project and potential suitable professors. I also took the opportunity to carry out in-depth research into the main areas of research of the potential Supervisors on the university website. This is how I came across Professor Winkler, whose academic focus and expertise in this field were an excellent match for my project. During our face-to-face meeting, it quickly became clear that his approach and experience were ideally suited to my PhD project.
Writing my research proposal was an intensive but very productive process. I began by defining my research question and methodology, and my discussions with Professor Winkler helped me to refine the proposal and clearly articulate its academic focus. The feedback, as well as the guide to writing an academic research proposal, helped me to further clarify the project and meet the formal requirements.
What I’m most looking forward to is delving deeply into my research topic and gaining new, innovative insights. Another aspect I’m looking forward to is exchanging ideas with the other PhD students. The interdisciplinary dialogue and working together on various topics not only offer valuable perspectives for my own research, but also the chance to discover new avenues for my professional career and expand my network.