The new startups presented the 13 projects that will be developed over the next 6 months in the Innovation Hub of Terminal 1 of Fiumicino, Italy’s first industrial accelerator in the aviation sector.
FIUMICINO – 13 new start-ups land at the Rome Fiumicino‘s Innovation Hub, selected among the 116 companies that responded to the second “Call for Ideas” launched by ADR last December.
On the occasion of the induction event of start-ups from all over the world – Aeroficial Intelligence, A&K Robotics, ArgosAI, Auxilia, Designhubz, Essential Aero, Guimu Robot, HamsaID, Matroid, ReLearn, Proteso, Wintics and ZestIOT – the Innovation Cabin Crew of Aeroporti di Roma organised 3 workshops on the future challenges of the three most important airport trends: passenger experience, airport security and process automation. During the day it was also possible for guests invited to the event to have one-to-one meetings with the start-ups and members of the Innovation Cabin Crew.
Emanuele Calà, Vice President Innovation and Quality ADR.
“We are celebrating the launch of the second acceleration programme of Aeroporti di Roma“ said Emanuele Calà, Vice President Innovation and Quality of ADR. “We have over 70 colleagues from all over the world: airports, airlines and startups representing 3 continents and over 20 nationalities, who are gathered here today to attend the presentation of the 13 projects that will be developed in the Innovation Hub at Fiumicino Terminal 1, together with startups, partners and members of the Innovation Cabin Crew of Aeroporti di Roma”.
The startuppers settled at the Innovation Hub in Fiumicino, Italy’s first industrial accelerator in the aviation sector, will have to solve the 8 challenges proposed by the second Call for Ideas
over the next 6 months: Predictive Maintenance, Enhance Terminal Processes, Improve Airside Operations, Passenger Experience, Community & Sustainability, Environmental Impact, Commercial Opportunities, Disruptive Solutions.
To realise this second round of the acceleration programme, Aeroporti di Roma has provided not only greater economic support, up to 105,000 euros, but – against a positive outcome of the projects – the possibility for the start-ups to count on potential business opportunities of up to 2 million euros and support for future investment rounds thanks to the financial support of ADR Ventures, a corporate vehicle set up by ADR to start up Corporate Venture Capital activities. This is the first initiative of its kind in the air transport sector in Italy and is aimed at financing the development of projects in areas with high innovation potential. Among the main objectives of the new company are the management of investments in the capital of start-ups, the monitoring of companies in which investments have been planned, and the identification through dedicated scouting of potential target companies, characterised by growth prospects and functional to the realisation of new services and solutions to build, together with Aeroporti di Roma, the airport of the future.
ADR has chosen to focus on the creation of an innovation model – both outward-looking and inward-looking – that is based on the dissemination of the culture of Open Innovation to facilitate
the development of an ecosystem based on cooperation with large companies, industrial groups, academic institutions and start-ups that share the same goals of energy and digital transition. To
further strengthen the international network dedicated to innovation, during 2022 Aeroporti di Roma launched and promoted together with AENA, the world’s leading airport operator in terms of number of passengers, the “Airports For Innovation” network. In 2023, Munich (in June 2023), Vancouver, Dallas Fort Worth, Nice and Athens joined the network. Over 500 million passengers are handled by the network and consequently involved in common innovative solutions.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
