Generating external contacts
Since innovation calls for pooling a wide range of skills and competencies, Saint-Gobain is establishing links with external players to speed up innovative processes within the Group.
Three systems have been set up to put fresh impetus into generating external contacts: a techno-marketing team to explore opportunities offered by developments in markets and technologies, a team in charge of identifying promising, innovative start-ups and explore possible synergies, and a network of high-level partnerships with universities throughout the world.
NOVA TMT, a techno-marketing team
NOVA TMT is primarily dedicated to exploring opportunities offered by developments in markets and technologies and to assess emerging markets and technologies. It also carries out research into new applications for Saint-Gobain's current processes and products.
NOVA External Venturing
Nova External Venturing is the Saint-Gobain team dedicated to setting up strategic partnerships between the Group and promising start-ups throughout the world. Combining projects launched by innovative start-ups with Saint-Gobain's manufacturing and commercial potential greatly magnifies these partners' innovative capacities, enabling innovative projects to be brought to fruition within a much shorter timeframe.
SUN: university network
The Saint-Gobain University Network (SUN) allows Saint-Gobain to benefit from the most recent scientific advances made by the academic world and gain access to extremely high level skills. This approach also makes it possible to increase the pool of researchers via theses and post-doctorates that make it easier to employ highly qualified managers in countries that are strategic for the Group.
This has led to contracts recently being signed with the CNRS in France, Harvard, Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California in the United States, the Institute of Technology in Madras, India; Japan's National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) and other institutions.
