At Digital Partner, we had the privilege of delivering a truly unique project: the very first Google Street View tour of a Volkswagen Group production plant. Together with Volkswagen Slovakia, we opened the doors of the Bratislava plant to the world, virtually.
Take a look behind the scenes of a project that combined precision planning, technical expertise, and seamless coordination in one of the most dynamic industrial environments in Europe.
Virtual Tour of the Plant Exterior
Capturing the exterior of the Volkswagen Slovakia plant was anything but simple. The site is a living organism, bustling with activity around the clock. On an average day, approximately 15,000 employees and external contractors move across the premises, alongside continuous flows of materials and work-in-progress production.
This made the project exceptionally demanding, both logistically and technically.
The Goal
The main objective was clear: to significantly improve navigation and orientation for new employees and external suppliers within the extensive plant area.
Since no Volkswagen Group plant had previously been mapped using Google Street View, we were starting from scratch, setting a new internal benchmark from day one.
About Volkswagen Slovakia
Before diving deeper into the execution, let’s introduce the client.
Did you know that the Bratislava plant of Volkswagen Slovakia is the only automotive factory in the world producing vehicles of five brands under one roof? The plant exclusively manufactures: Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen up! & e-up!, ŠKODA Citigo and SEAT Mii.
More than 99% of production is exported to 148 countries worldwide, with Germany, the USA, and China among the largest markets.
Precision Planning from Day One
Already during the first meetings, it was evident that success would depend on meticulous preparation. Capturing the site without disrupting daily operations, while still delivering flawless visual quality, required a highly detailed plan.
Photography had to be completed as quickly as possible and during the least busy hours, with every step coordinated down to the minute.
Managing Movement on Site
People Traffic
With thousands of people constantly moving across the plant, human traffic was one of the first challenges. Thanks to precise scheduling and coordination, we managed to eliminate this factor entirely, no people appear in the final tour.
Vehicle Traffic
Vehicle movement proved to be the most demanding obstacle.
The shoot took place during full operation, meaning:
• vehicles could not be rerouted,
• deliveries to production could not be delayed,
• large trucks frequently blocked key viewpoints.
Any extended stop would have had a direct impact on production logistics.
The Most Challenging Moment
The most complex section to capture was the main entrance and access road, the most exposed and heavily trafficked area of the entire plant.
We attempted this twice, but traffic density made shooting impossible. Eventually, the shoot was scheduled for the estimated quietest time of day. Even then, traffic remained intense.
In the end, the final shots were made possible thanks to the cooperation of plant employees, who briefly halted inbound and outbound traffic, just long enough to capture the perfect images.
The Project in Numbers
We love numbers and this project speaks volumes:
• 1,272 photographs captured and processed
• 202 vehicle license plates retouched
Given the high number of stationary vehicles, we applied a custom retouching approach. Instead of standard blurring, license plates were manually edited directly within the photographs, resulting in a cleaner, more natural visual output without distracting elements.
Explore the Virtual Tour
You can experience the Google Street View tour of the Volkswagen Slovakia plant here:
Street View Volkswagen Slovakia
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Volkswagen Slovakia for the trust, opportunity, and honor to be part of this pioneering project for the largest European automotive manufacturer.
Our sincere thanks also go to all involved teams for their enthusiasm, professionalism, and invaluable support, especially in challenging on-site situations.
At Digital Partner, we had the privilege of delivering a truly unique project: the very first Google Street View tour of a Volkswagen Group production plant. Together with Volkswagen Slovakia, we opened the doors of the Bratislava plant to the world, virtually.
Take a look behind the scenes of a project that combined precision planning, technical expertise, and seamless coordination in one of the most dynamic industrial environments in Europe.
Virtual Tour of the Plant Exterior
Capturing the exterior of the Volkswagen Slovakia plant was anything but simple. The site is a living organism, bustling with activity around the clock. On an average day, approximately 15,000 employees and external contractors move across the premises, alongside continuous flows of materials and work-in-progress production.
This made the project exceptionally demanding, both logistically and technically.
The Goal
The main objective was clear: to significantly improve navigation and orientation for new employees and external suppliers within the extensive plant area.
Since no Volkswagen Group plant had previously been mapped using Google Street View, we were starting from scratch, setting a new internal benchmark from day one.
About Volkswagen Slovakia
Before diving deeper into the execution, let’s introduce the client.
Did you know that the Bratislava plant of Volkswagen Slovakia is the only automotive factory in the world producing vehicles of five brands under one roof? The plant exclusively manufactures: Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen up! & e-up!, ŠKODA Citigo and SEAT Mii.
More than 99% of production is exported to 148 countries worldwide, with Germany, the USA, and China among the largest markets.
Precision Planning from Day One
Already during the first meetings, it was evident that success would depend on meticulous preparation. Capturing the site without disrupting daily operations, while still delivering flawless visual quality, required a highly detailed plan.
Photography had to be completed as quickly as possible and during the least busy hours, with every step coordinated down to the minute.
Managing Movement on Site
People Traffic
With thousands of people constantly moving across the plant, human traffic was one of the first challenges. Thanks to precise scheduling and coordination, we managed to eliminate this factor entirely, no people appear in the final tour.
Vehicle Traffic
Vehicle movement proved to be the most demanding obstacle.
The shoot took place during full operation, meaning:
• vehicles could not be rerouted,
• deliveries to production could not be delayed,
• large trucks frequently blocked key viewpoints.
Any extended stop would have had a direct impact on production logistics.
The Most Challenging Moment
The most complex section to capture was the main entrance and access road, the most exposed and heavily trafficked area of the entire plant.
We attempted this twice, but traffic density made shooting impossible. Eventually, the shoot was scheduled for the estimated quietest time of day. Even then, traffic remained intense.
In the end, the final shots were made possible thanks to the cooperation of plant employees, who briefly halted inbound and outbound traffic, just long enough to capture the perfect images.
The Project in Numbers
We love numbers and this project speaks volumes:
• 1,272 photographs captured and processed
• 202 vehicle license plates retouched
Given the high number of stationary vehicles, we applied a custom retouching approach. Instead of standard blurring, license plates were manually edited directly within the photographs, resulting in a cleaner, more natural visual output without distracting elements.
Explore the Virtual Tour
You can experience the Google Street View tour of the Volkswagen Slovakia plant here:
Street View Volkswagen Slovakia
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Volkswagen Slovakia for the trust, opportunity, and honor to be part of this pioneering project for the largest European automotive manufacturer.
Our sincere thanks also go to all involved teams for their enthusiasm, professionalism, and invaluable support, especially in challenging on-site situations.
At Digital Partner, we had the privilege of delivering a truly unique project: the very first Google Street View tour of a Volkswagen Group production plant. Together with Volkswagen Slovakia, we opened the doors of the Bratislava plant to the world, virtually.
Take a look behind the scenes of a project that combined precision planning, technical expertise, and seamless coordination in one of the most dynamic industrial environments in Europe.
Virtual Tour of the Plant Exterior
Capturing the exterior of the Volkswagen Slovakia plant was anything but simple. The site is a living organism, bustling with activity around the clock. On an average day, approximately 15,000 employees and external contractors move across the premises, alongside continuous flows of materials and work-in-progress production.
This made the project exceptionally demanding, both logistically and technically.
The Goal
The main objective was clear: to significantly improve navigation and orientation for new employees and external suppliers within the extensive plant area.
Since no Volkswagen Group plant had previously been mapped using Google Street View, we were starting from scratch, setting a new internal benchmark from day one.
About Volkswagen Slovakia
Before diving deeper into the execution, let’s introduce the client.
Did you know that the Bratislava plant of Volkswagen Slovakia is the only automotive factory in the world producing vehicles of five brands under one roof? The plant exclusively manufactures: Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen up! & e-up!, ŠKODA Citigo and SEAT Mii.
More than 99% of production is exported to 148 countries worldwide, with Germany, the USA, and China among the largest markets.
Precision Planning from Day One
Already during the first meetings, it was evident that success would depend on meticulous preparation. Capturing the site without disrupting daily operations, while still delivering flawless visual quality, required a highly detailed plan.
Photography had to be completed as quickly as possible and during the least busy hours, with every step coordinated down to the minute.
Managing Movement on Site
People Traffic
With thousands of people constantly moving across the plant, human traffic was one of the first challenges. Thanks to precise scheduling and coordination, we managed to eliminate this factor entirely, no people appear in the final tour.
Vehicle Traffic
Vehicle movement proved to be the most demanding obstacle.
The shoot took place during full operation, meaning:
• vehicles could not be rerouted,
• deliveries to production could not be delayed,
• large trucks frequently blocked key viewpoints.
Any extended stop would have had a direct impact on production logistics.
The Most Challenging Moment
The most complex section to capture was the main entrance and access road, the most exposed and heavily trafficked area of the entire plant.
We attempted this twice, but traffic density made shooting impossible. Eventually, the shoot was scheduled for the estimated quietest time of day. Even then, traffic remained intense.
In the end, the final shots were made possible thanks to the cooperation of plant employees, who briefly halted inbound and outbound traffic, just long enough to capture the perfect images.
The Project in Numbers
We love numbers and this project speaks volumes:
• 1,272 photographs captured and processed
• 202 vehicle license plates retouched
Given the high number of stationary vehicles, we applied a custom retouching approach. Instead of standard blurring, license plates were manually edited directly within the photographs, resulting in a cleaner, more natural visual output without distracting elements.
Explore the Virtual Tour
You can experience the Google Street View tour of the Volkswagen Slovakia plant here:
Street View Volkswagen Slovakia
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Volkswagen Slovakia for the trust, opportunity, and honor to be part of this pioneering project for the largest European automotive manufacturer.
Our sincere thanks also go to all involved teams for their enthusiasm, professionalism, and invaluable support, especially in challenging on-site situations.
At Digital Partner, we had the privilege of delivering a truly unique project: the very first Google Street View tour of a Volkswagen Group production plant. Together with Volkswagen Slovakia, we opened the doors of the Bratislava plant to the world, virtually.
Take a look behind the scenes of a project that combined precision planning, technical expertise, and seamless coordination in one of the most dynamic industrial environments in Europe.
Virtual Tour of the Plant Exterior
Capturing the exterior of the Volkswagen Slovakia plant was anything but simple. The site is a living organism, bustling with activity around the clock. On an average day, approximately 15,000 employees and external contractors move across the premises, alongside continuous flows of materials and work-in-progress production.
This made the project exceptionally demanding, both logistically and technically.
The Goal
The main objective was clear: to significantly improve navigation and orientation for new employees and external suppliers within the extensive plant area.
Since no Volkswagen Group plant had previously been mapped using Google Street View, we were starting from scratch, setting a new internal benchmark from day one.
About Volkswagen Slovakia
Before diving deeper into the execution, let’s introduce the client.
Did you know that the Bratislava plant of Volkswagen Slovakia is the only automotive factory in the world producing vehicles of five brands under one roof? The plant exclusively manufactures: Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen up! & e-up!, ŠKODA Citigo and SEAT Mii.
More than 99% of production is exported to 148 countries worldwide, with Germany, the USA, and China among the largest markets.
Precision Planning from Day One
Already during the first meetings, it was evident that success would depend on meticulous preparation. Capturing the site without disrupting daily operations, while still delivering flawless visual quality, required a highly detailed plan.
Photography had to be completed as quickly as possible and during the least busy hours, with every step coordinated down to the minute.
Managing Movement on Site
People Traffic
With thousands of people constantly moving across the plant, human traffic was one of the first challenges. Thanks to precise scheduling and coordination, we managed to eliminate this factor entirely, no people appear in the final tour.
Vehicle Traffic
Vehicle movement proved to be the most demanding obstacle.
The shoot took place during full operation, meaning:
• vehicles could not be rerouted,
• deliveries to production could not be delayed,
• large trucks frequently blocked key viewpoints.
Any extended stop would have had a direct impact on production logistics.
The Most Challenging Moment
The most complex section to capture was the main entrance and access road, the most exposed and heavily trafficked area of the entire plant.
We attempted this twice, but traffic density made shooting impossible. Eventually, the shoot was scheduled for the estimated quietest time of day. Even then, traffic remained intense.
In the end, the final shots were made possible thanks to the cooperation of plant employees, who briefly halted inbound and outbound traffic, just long enough to capture the perfect images.
The Project in Numbers
We love numbers and this project speaks volumes:
• 1,272 photographs captured and processed
• 202 vehicle license plates retouched
Given the high number of stationary vehicles, we applied a custom retouching approach. Instead of standard blurring, license plates were manually edited directly within the photographs, resulting in a cleaner, more natural visual output without distracting elements.
Explore the Virtual Tour
You can experience the Google Street View tour of the Volkswagen Slovakia plant here:
Street View Volkswagen Slovakia
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Volkswagen Slovakia for the trust, opportunity, and honor to be part of this pioneering project for the largest European automotive manufacturer.
Our sincere thanks also go to all involved teams for their enthusiasm, professionalism, and invaluable support, especially in challenging on-site situations.
