JCDecaux, a partner of Viva Technology: open innovation at the heart of new urban experiences

JCDecaux S.A. (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, is participating for the fourth year in Viva Technology, the global innovation and start-up event, held this year from May 16th to 18th at the Parc des Expositions exhibition centre at Porte de Versailles in Paris.

A player in urban transformation, JCDecaux harnesses open innovation to develop innovative solutions and make cities more pleasant, comfortable and sustainable. For the 2019 Viva Technology show, JCDecaux’s participation will focus on new urban experiences and outdoor advertising driving the development of start-ups.
 
Artificial intelligence and Data - central to new urban experiences

Ahead of Viva Technology, JCDecaux organised a call for projects entitled “The urban experience informed by artificial intelligence”. Five start-ups were shortlisted from the 90 who had submitted projects:

• Aura Vision (an image recognition system using machine learning),
• Brightscope (a data aggregation and analysis platform),
• Denver Technologies (urban flow sensors),
• Sensego (software for analysing data and developing predictive models),
• VisioPM (dynamic glasses-free 3D signage).

At Viva Technology, the selected start-ups will present their solutions to a jury of experts from JCDecaux France and JCDecaux Singapore.
The winning start-up will get to test its solution on site in Singapore, one of the world’s leading smart cities.

JCDecaux will also be organising a Master Class, facilitated by its Chief Data Officer François-Xavier Pierrel, on using data to meet the expectations and needs of citizens and local communities. The event will be attended by ten delegations.

A panel discussion on “AI impact on our society and our economy: what’s happening now, what might happen next” will bring together Jérôme Monceaux, the founder of Spoon (personified artificial intelligence), and Marianne Tan, Regional Director (Europe) of the Singapore Economic Development Board.

In addition, a video will be shown in the JCDecaux area on the possible future uses of drones in urban environments and the numerous advantages they could bring to tomorrow’s cities in relation to the Group’s street furniture.

Outdoor advertising driving start-up development

Viva Technology will also be an opportunity to inform start-ups about the Nurture programme, successfully developed in the UK by JCDecaux and launched in France in 2018. Supporting future entrepreneurs, partners and clients is part of the DNA of JCDecaux, itself the product of an entrepreneurial adventure. Faithful to that spirit, the Nurture programme supports dynamic young companies in their growth strategies by helping them to forge closer ties with their public. Joe Hills, Head of Nurture in the UK, will present the relevance of JCDecaux media for start-ups looking for powerful communication solutions adapted to their resources and objectives. From creative mentoring and customised media plans to access to KYC-boosting data, Nurture provides comprehensive and affordable support to start-ups for which some media remain inaccessible.

Open innovation at the heart of JCDecaux’s corporate culture

The “My Viva” initiative launched at the 2018 Viva Technology event will be continued this year. Ten JCDecaux employees looking for an innovative solution applying to their business needs will visit the stands and select start-ups to be presented to the Management Committee, France. Start-ups with solutions that convince the Committee will become JCDecaux partners. The solutions of the four start-ups selected in 2018 are currently being trialled. One of them, Play Play, a platform for creating short videos in line with the company charter, has been adopted by several departments at JCDecaux.

Albert Asséraf, Executive Vice-President, Strategy, Data and User Innovation, JCDecaux France, said: “Technology, data and artificial intelligence open up a range of possibilities for transforming our cities. The key for JCDecaux is forming relationships with bold and enthusiastic entrepreneurs, optimising today’s urban services and creating those of the future. We are firmly convinced that collaborative work between large corporations and start-ups serves to drive growth. In that respect, Viva Technology is a perfect match with our strategy of open innovation and dialogue with the start-up ecosystem.”

JCDecaux events at Viva Technology:

Thursday May 16th:

• 12 pm to 12.30 pm: Hall 1 – pitch area 2 - JCDecaux - for the Nurture keynote
• 1.30 pm to 2 pm: Hall 1 - pitch area 2 - JCDecaux - for the panel discussion “AI impact on our society and our economy: what’s happening now, what might happen next”

Friday May 17th:

• 2 pm to 3.30 pm: Hall 1 - pitch area 2 – JCDecaux - for the “Pitch Contest”

About JCDecaux
JCDecaux, the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, is present in more than 80 countries and 4,031 cities with over 10,000 inhabitants. For more than 50 years, JCDecaux products have been the benchmark in innovation, quality, aesthetics and functionality. Thanks to the expertise of its employees, the Group's service offering, particularly on upkeep and maintenance are recognised by cities, airport and transport authorities, along with advertisers around the world. JCDecaux is currently the only world-class player to focus exclusively on outdoor advertising and the development of all related activities: street furniture, transport and billboard advertising. In the age of the smart city, JCDecaux is positioning itself as a major player and is already playing a vital role in building the connected city, a city that is more human, more open and more sustainable.

For more information about JCDecaux, please visit jcdecaux.com.
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