Alexander Mankowsky
Future Researcher & Visionary Thinker

Born in Berlin in 1957, Alexander Mankowsky studied Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology at the Free University of Berlin. He graduated in 1984 with the title of Diplom Soziologe.

After four years in social services helping troubled children, he decided to follow the Zeitgeist and enrolled at a post graduate university, focusing on the then new field of Artificial Intelligence. After heavy programming in OOS and Prolog, he earned himself the title of ‘Knowledge Engineer’. Since 1989 Alexander Mankowsky has worked in the research unit at Daimler AG, initially focusing on societal trends in mobility. This led him in 2001 to his current field of work – ‘Future &Technology.’
Alexander Mankowsky is focused on human centered innovation utilizing futuristic technological concepts. He is embedded in Daimler’s rich and diverse network of creatives.

Vera Schmidt graduated from the University of Applied Sciences in Wuerzburg, Germany in 2004. As Fulbright Scholar she earned a Master degree from Savannah College of Design and Arts, in Savannah Georgia, in 2006. Her career at Mercedes-Benz Design started in 2008 as an Interface-Designer. She designed the graphic user interaction interface for the first full-TFT -display instrument cluster of the new Mercedes S-Class, as well as the head unit of the Concept A-Class. From 2011 Vera Schmidt has worked for Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America in Sunnyvale, CA, located in the heart of Silicon Valley. At the level of Advanced UX Design Manager she helped set up the Advanced User Experience Design Studio. The focus of her work was on innovative concepts, visional Features and aesthetic Interface-Design. In this role she designed digital contents for the Research Car F 015 Luxury in Motion with extensive, innovative settings which transform the vehicle to an intelligent and interactive robot. In June 2015 Vera Schmidt was assigned to set up the new Advanced Digital Design department in Sindelfingen, Stuttgart and appointed Senior Manager. Her cross-functional teams plan and design the digital car of the future. In cooperation with partner-teams of the corporation they develop and design Concept and Research cars and other digital applications for vehicles.