Mercedes-Benz R&D India Unveils Sustainability Garage for Innovation in Mobility

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) today launched the 'Sustainability Garage' - a Mercedes-Benz initiative, for promoting innovation in sustainable mobility.  In association with Prayoga Institute of Education Research, the Sustainability Garage, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, will serve as a hub for multidisciplinary research, focusing on developing eco-friendly materials with diverse applications to benefit society. Underscoring its commitment to driving positive change and advancing sustainable practices, MBRDI’s CSR initiative is a collaborative effort to create platforms and research spaces dedicated towards advancing sustainability among a diverse set of stakeholders.

Sustainability Garage Initiative

The Sustainability Garage at Prayoga Institute of Education Research is a significant step forward in our sustainability journey. This initiative aims to foster collaboration between academia and industry, driving research and innovation in sustainable materials and technologies. Under this initiative, MBRDI has jointly developed specialised course material, and over 150 students from six universities in Karnataka - Jain University, RV Institution, JSS Science and Technology University, Vijaya College, Nrupatunga Institution, and St. Joseph’s University - will participate in curated workshops and can experiment with the research equipment.

Manu Saale, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, said, “Researchers at MBRDI are deeply engaged in ensuring sustainability as a core priority – from analysing materials to design greener products or better battery chemistry to pivoting increasingly towards digital engineering processes that reduce emissions or waste. In addition to partnerships with academia and research labs that help multiply our innovation quotient, it is important for the industry to create an ecosystem that nurtures innovation and embraces the principles of circularity and sustainability. We are excited to launch the Sustainability Garage at Prayoga Institute of Education Research, marking a significant milestone in our sustainability journey.”

Dr. H S Nagaraja, Chief Mentor of Prayoga Institute of Education Research, noted, “It is necessary to nurture the spirit of innovation at a young age and enable an ecosystem for young researchers. Prayoga is developing and promoting pedagogies where creating solutions is a part of a student‘s learning journey. The collaboration with MBRDI for this Sustainability Garage underlines our shared belief that a strong industry-academia-student relationship can significantly impact the pace of innovation in the coming years. Our nation’s abundant natural resources have the potential to be sustainable materials and the many talented young citizens of the country need to be nurtured. We are optimistic that this initiative will positively impact our society.”

At Mercedes-Benz, sustainability is a fundamental pillar of the corporate philosophy. The company believes in creating lasting value for all stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, partners, and society at large. Its economic, environmental, and social responsibility encompasses its entire value chain and the holistic approach to sustainability revolves around six key focus areas: climate protection and air quality, resource conservation, sustainable urban mobility, traffic safety, data responsibility, and human rights. Through initiatives like Ambition 2039, Mercedes-Benz is committed to making its entire fleet of new vehicles net carbon-neutral along the entire value chain and over the vehicles' entire lifecycle by 2039.