4 cover story
“Today, if you’re not agile,
you’re out of the game”
I N T E R V I E W with Carlos Buenosvinos, CEO & CTO of SEAT:CODE
In 2019, acknowledging the impact
of powertrain electrification and
the increased digitalization in vehicle
development, SEAT announced the
launch of SEAT:CODE. The new software
house is a response to the paradigm
shift that the automotive industry is
currently experiencing, and is helping
to define the future of mobility.
Focus spoke to Carlos Buenosvinos,
SEAT:CODE CEO & CTO and head of
the Data Office at SEAT, to discuss
the work his team is doing, and his
vision for the future.
focus: Mr. Buenosvinos, what
was the reason for SEAT’s move
into software, and what are your
main goals as a software house?
Buenosvinos: Our aim is to make the
most of the opportunities that come
from electrification and digitalization,
and to explore and implement
new ideas and business models
around the vehicle and mobility
in general. Traditionally the car has
always been in the middle of the
business model, but we want to put
the customer in the middle and explore
new ways of delivering value
to them. And we are doing this in
three ways.
Firstly, it’s the customer journey.
We want the customers of SEAT,
CUPRA, and SEAT MÓ – our urban
mobility division – to become
lovers of our brands. We are working
to ensure that all our websites,
apps and digital offerings provide a
consistent, high quality experience.
And we’re also looking at the offline
experience, such as dealerships
and all customer touchpoints so
that we can optimize for the very