Launch of partnership between VINCI and Startupbootcamp aimed at innovation in the mobility and energy sectors

16 July 2015 - 7:00 pm - Events

VINCI announces a partnership with Startupbootcamp, a start-up accelerator based in Berlin. As part of a network spanning around 30 countries, Startupbootcamp is a platform for connecting talented young entrepreneurs with investors and industrial partners in order to promote and accelerate particularly innovative projects.

The Group has decided to support Startupbootcamp’s Berlin operation, which specialises in mobility and energy, two sectors that are key to VINCI’s activities. This partnership illustrates VINCI’s determination to foster innovation in these areas. By supporting the most promising start-ups, the Group will be in constant contact with a genuine breeding ground of ideas, that could be useful to the development of its own businesses. The partnership also reflects the Group’s open innovation approach¹.

Each year, Startupbootcamp organises a new start-up sourcing campaign. After identifying candidates, the partnership consists of selecting 10 projects, each of which will benefit from financial backing, access to collaborative work space free of charge and support over a period of three months (known as acceleration), before being presented to investors.

Selections for the 2015 Berlin programme were made on 10 to 12 July. VINCI will provide five mentors, alongside other corporate partners, who will coach the selected start-ups in the development of their strategy. The programme will start officially on 10 August 2015.

Startupbootcamp is now present in eight cities through 10 programmes (Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Eindhoven, London, Barcelona, Singapore and Istanbul), providing intensive support and monitoring to selected start-ups.

Innovation, at the heart of VINCI’s business lines

VINCI’s R&D and innovation policy contributes to meeting the major challenges of the future: urban development, sustainable mobility and the energy transition.

VINCI works with the academic community on a daily basis. Its partnership with three ParisTech engineering schools triggered the creation, in 2008, of the Eco-design of Buildings and Infrastructure Chair, which focuses on energy performance, urban agriculture, smart grids, smart cities, renewable energy sources and sustainable mobility. The Group is also in partnership with the Paris Institut d’Administration des Entreprises’ chair -Economie des Partenariats Publics-Privés (EPPP) - dedicated to the study of Public Private Partnerships stakes.

Regarding stakeholders, VINCI set up The Fabrique de la Cité, a think tank and forum for discussion that brings together public and private players, all involved at a high level in urban development and mobility issues. This makes the Fabrique de la Cité an interdisciplinary melting pot for different points of view, experiences and visions. In 2015, the Fabrique de la Cité focused its efforts mainly on levers for optimising the city, mobility in city suburbs and the use of urban data (big data, open data) for developing new urban services.

Lastly, VINCI leverages its innovation potential by fostering the real initiatives of its companies and teams on the ground. That is the aim of the VINCI Innovation Awards Competition, which takes place every two years and is open to all employees. The competition covers not only technological aspects but also all innovations that would contribute to the Group’s improvement programme, particularly in terms of safety, sustainable development and working conditions. In 2015, employees submitted 2,212 projects for the VINCI Innovation Awards Competition.

 

About Startupbootcamp

Startupbootcamp is a leading network of industry focused start-up accelerators. We help start-ups scale globally by giving them direct access to an international network of the most relevant partners, investors and mentors in their sector.
http://www.startupbootcamp.org

 

¹ VINCI is also supporting the Institut Open Innovation, which opened its doors in June 2014. The result of collaboration between universities (Ecole Centrale Paris and Supelec) and major corporations, the IOI aims to help all players concerned by open innovation and, in particular, to provide an efficient link between start-ups and the business world.

 

About VINCI
VINCI is a global player in concessions, energy and construction, employing 280,000 people in more than 120 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, we are committed to operating in an environmentally, socially responsible and ethical manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. Based on that approach, VINCI’s ambition is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees, partners and society in general.