Innovation is easier said than done. Yet so many companies are talking about it that the word has been reduced to a meaningless buzzword. It’s hard to tell who’s just saying it and who’s acting on it. So, we looked beyond the term to find out how TomTom’s innovation program, TomTom Lab, is taking action to create an impact.

This is the first installment of Viewpoint, a new column that comes to you directly from a TomTom’er, or someone who we think has a viewpoint worth sharing. In this edition, our resident writer-at-large muses on how important maps are in modern tech.

As a new VP of Engineering and Applied Science at TomTom, Bahram Zonooz is ready to put the map “at the forefront of a new tech revolution.” We sat down with the AI expert to find out more about his journey, what brought him to TomTom and what excites him in the world of mapping.

In the world of tech, many companies have been striving to make engineering more gender balanced. Efforts have been strong, yet the numbers are slow to change. Deloitte’s analysis of 20 large tech companies showed signs that a renewed commitment and greater efforts are likely needed for progress to continue post-pandemic. We spoke to an experienced engineer to get her first-hand insights on being a woman in tech.

Sadly, the answer to that question isn’t simple. It pays to think of charging an EV as something entirely new, don’t compare it to what you would have done with your gasoline vehicle. There are many factors to consider when charging an EV, all of which affect how fast it can charge and how long you’ll spend at a charger.

Endings matter – especially when it comes to last-mile delivery. But did you know that delivery people find the last 100 meters to be the toughest part of the whole process? We explore the reasons why, and what can be done to make the home stretch of the last mile smoother for drivers, businesses and customers.

A company is more than a place to work. It’s a place to grow and develop, as you continually gain new skills and experience to achieve your personal and professional goals. But what does that look like in practice? How does a company not only have a positive impact on the world, but also on its employees? To find out, we asked three software engineers at TomTom, who started out years ago in the company’s internship program.

When someone says electric vehicles (EVs), you probably don’t think of TomTom — but you should. As the world goes electric, we must find ways to make living with EVs and using them in businesses as simple and effortless as possible. We need to rethink the experience and create something new, something that solves the problems of anyone or any business that uses electric vehicles, we need an excellent EV experience. Going electric is complicated for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be — and TomTom thinks its maps have the answer.