- Groupe ADP is adding a new dimension to its innovation strategy by launching the first "Airport Innovation Days", an international competition open to startups in three countries (France, Jordan and Turkey) to accelerate the creation of the airport and mobility of the future.
- The most innovative solutions will be rewarded at three regional finals to be held on October 25 in Ankara, November 6 in Amman and December 4, 2024 in Paris. Proofs of Concept (POC) will be deployed at airports in the winning startup's geographical area: at Groupe ADP's Paris Airports, at Ankara Airport managed by TAV Airports, and at Amman Airport operated by Airport International Group (AIG).
Supported by Groupe ADP's "Innovation Hub" initiative, which has initiated more than 120 experimental projects in the Paris area since 2022, "Airport Innovation Days" aims to promote and raise the profile of startups in the airport sector, to give substance to innovative projects at the service of their local ecosystems.
The competition, organized by Groupe ADP - one of the world's leading airport operators - and its subsidiaries TAV Airports and AIG, is open to startups based in the three countries selected for this year's event: France, Turkey and Jordan.
Four categories to imagine the airport of tomorrow
The 2024 edition of "Airport Innovation Days" will reward startups in four categories:
1. Green Airport for startups offering solutions to decarbonize airport operations;
2. Passenger Experience for startups aiming to improve the passenger experience in terminals;
3. Airport operations for startups enabling optimal and efficient management of airport facilities;
4. Open category for startups proposing an innovation to enrich the airport experience and appeal in an original way.
The finalist startups will present their solutions to a panel of expert judges, and will be offered a place in the mentoring program for their region, with the opportunity to interact with top management from Groupe ADP, TAV Airports and AIG. They will also benefit from media visibility, notably in collaboration with Sifted (Financial Times Group media dedicated to tech and innovation).
Groupe ADP, TAV Airports and AIG will financially support the winning startups with a POC (Proof of Concept) of up to €50,000 at the airport in the winning zone. The winning startups in Jordan and Turkey will also be invited to the regional final in France to present their innovations to a panel of international experts.
To mark the launch of "Airport Innovation Days", Sifted is publishing a unique report entitled "Above the clouds, the future of flying", which takes stock of airport innovation and its contribution to the transformation of mobility in a context of ever-improving decarbonization.
This report is available on the following link : The future of flying | Sifted
Building on the maturity of the Paris "Innovation Hub" approach initiated back in 2017, the program's ambition is to accelerate the transformation of the group's airports to develop centers of excellence that foster innovation locally.
"Boosted by the success of our various operations to promote innovation via our international ecosystem, we are launching, for the first time, an international competition in France and on our international network in Jordan and Turkey. Airport Innovation Days is part of our open innovation approach, which aims to identify and support promising startups that will enable us to build the airport of tomorrow. In the wake of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which have accelerated the implementation of innovation in passenger services, this initiative should enable us to strengthen the Group's influence on our strategic themes, based on a multi-local approach, in order to become the 'No. 1 innovation incubator for airports' ", said Edward Arkwright, Deputy CEO of Groupe ADP.
Startups can apply on the official website www.airportinnovationdays.com until September 30th (for Ankara and Amman) and until November 04th (for Paris).
For more information, visit www.airportinnovationdays.com
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