Street scouting on the famous Friedrich Strasse in Berlin. Flagships.

3 innovation and digital news in 1 minute. Every Monday. Episode 392

Iconic, the Volkswagen Group exhibition.

Volkswagen Group has been presenting its car brands at a top-tier location for years. The present exhibition is called “Iconic” and leads to a VW bus, indeed iconic. A parcours through a series of cars and art that are “iconic” and a large immersive room, well-known from VanGogh exhibitions. Opinion: Iconic, this is right, VW has iconic “object” like the Beetle or the VW bus. The exhibition in itself is just normal — nothing iconic. The immersive room is a disappointment — low graphics, low narrative, low sounds. A quiet, low ambition exhibition they never should have called “Iconic”.

A pity, worth a fast run-through though.

EV from Vietnam — VinFast.

A big conglomerate is behind the car showroom for VinFast (8 EVs), VinGroup. They grew large in real-estate above all and are launching one car model after another. Smaller EVs coming out in 2025. EVs built in super modern factories depicted in videos in the showroom on Friedrich Strasse. Opinion: A modest showroom, but a good impression altogether. Discovering a new car brand, new EV models and enthusiastic staff who can tell a story. We’ll see more of them soon, with new models coming out.

A good discovery we’d never have made if we didn’t walk past it on Friedrich Strasse.

Microsoft in Berlin, a coffee shop.

The Microsoft coffee shop on Unter den Linden (off Friedrich Strasse) is more than 10 years old. A super good location and on the ground floor of the Microsoft Berlin office. A place where (in the back) events can take place. But no more XBox exhibition and Microsoft 365 demos, just espresso and lunch. Opinion: Most of these coffee shop as showroom have reduced exhibition and ambition. That is the case for this one as well. Somewhat disapointing — just a link on screen for the summer events of Microsoft in the German capital. And this in a market where Microsoft is a mighty player. Germany being #2 or #3 country for Microsoft, after the US.

The green tea was good though.