BMW Group has named Dr. Bernardo Lopez to head its technology office in Palo Alto, Calif., succeeding Dr. Joachim Stilla, who will assume new responsibilities at BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany. Dr. Lopez will work with Prof. Raymond Freymann, BMW Group’s managing director of research and technology. Dr. Lopez had been head of information technology for the development of electronics in the research and development division at BMW Group in Munich.

The Technology Office’s mission is to identify and investigate leading-edge technologies in non-automotive fields that BMW Group can make available to its customers. Current areas of interest include: sensors, actuators, smart materials, and human/machine interaction, as well as vehicle information and communication technology. The office was involved in the development of BMW’s iDrive controller and the iPod adapter.