These awards highlight two of the pillars of our innovation culture: intrapreneurship and collaboration with start-ups, both of which enable projects that aim to co-construct the energy solutions of tomorrow to emerge.
As it did in 2020, ENGIE is ranked among the 25 most active companies in terms of collaboration with startups in the world. This recognition, a global prize for open innovation, is bestowed by the international organization Mind The Bridge and the International Chamber of Commerce. In addition, this year, ENGIE received the special "Intrapreneurship Award".
More than 100 startups elected the 50 most active companies in the world for their collaboration with startups, listing ENGIE as one of the Top 25 "Corporate Startup Stars". For the second time in a row, ENGIE has joined the top 25 companies recognized for their strategy, processes, and culture of innovation.
The Group has also been awarded for its intrapreneurship approach which, during the ENGIE Innovation Trophies, rewards the most innovative projects imagined by its employees. These awards help to identify and disseminate innovative technologies, practices, and initiatives. For the 2021 edition, 560 projects from 35 countries have been submitted. Once again this year, the finalist projects help ENGIE to project itself into the future, as they build the path to decarbonization, through renewable energies, the development of green gases, energy flexibility, and efficiency. After the Trophies, the finalists are accompanied by the "Beyond the Trophies" program, with tailor-made support in communication, networking and entrepreneurial skills.
"These awards highlight two of the pillars of our innovation culture: intrapreneurship and collaboration with start-ups, both of which enable projects that aim to co-construct the energy solutions of tomorrow to emerge. They also reward the quality of the work carried out by our teams on these projects around the world, that should help us achieve our 2045 carbon neutrality objectives," explains Csilla Kohalmi-Monfils, Director of Innovation Ecosystems.
The incubators, or "ENGIE Factories", in
Paris and Singapore, develop new business
models, test them, measure the risks with
customers or partners via profitable pilot projects, and
then, develop new activities around these
new concepts to be integrated into ENGIE's business units over a period of
three to five years. Solutions are based either on solving customer problems or
on ideas from ENGIE intrapreneurs or external entrepreneurs whose skills,
inspiration and expertise are needed to succeed.
ENGIE's Corporate investment fund has invested 140 million euros since 2014 in 28 startups with disruptive business models. ENGIE New Ventures provides startups with ENGIE business expertise as well as the power of its brand to inspire confidence and trigger sales. This collaboration allows them to tap into uncharted areas and share new business, recruiting, and management processes. With these start-ups, the Group is anticipating technological upheavals and innovations in its market, while drawing inspiration from managerial methods and adapting its service to its customers. With its international presence (Europe, USA, Asia, Latin America and Israel) and its dedicated governance, ENGIE's venture capital investment subsidiary plays a role of catalyst for innovation for the benefit of the transition to a zero carbon world.
"We appreciated ENGIE’s holistic approach to open innovation, from intrapreneurship to partnerships, investments and acquisitions," said Alberto Onetti, President of Mind the Bridge. "We particularly appreciated the Innovation Trophies intrapreneurship program and in particular its recent developments, including the decision to open up to external startups and to focus on the implementation of results. That Innovation is considered as a benchmark at international level. "
In 2021, ENGIE New Ventures notably supported the development of the first production site for the H2SITE hydrogen technological platform; invested in Connected Energy, a benchmark for innovative “second life” battery solutions, in C-Zero, which has developed innovative technology to use natural gas without emitting greenhouse gases, and in Ndustrial, an American supplier of software and services for energy optimization of industrial sites.
Sign up for the ENGIE Innovation Newsletter
By continuing to browse, you accept that ENGIE uses cookies for the purpose of saving information about your browsing on the Site. Cookies help make your browsing experience easier and also make it possible to gather statistics about who visits the Site with the goal of improving its quality. For more information, click here.
Consult cookies policy
