• Published on 28 February 2017
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Capgemini launches Applied Innovation Exchange in Singapore to serve Southeast Asia region

Capgemini, a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services, today announced the launch of its newest Applied Innovation Exchange (AIE) located in Singapore. The exchange will deliver a robust service catalogue, within an ecosystem of other AIEs, including a focus in areas such as data analytics, visualization, artificial intelligence and cognitive computing. It will be Capgemini’s first AIE in Southeast Asia and 10th globally, in addition to its complement of Applied Innovation Discovery Centers. In line with Singapore’s ‘Smart Nation’ vision which is designed to harness digital technologies as powerful catalysts for change, the AIE will strengthen Singapore’s reputation as an innovation hub by expanding the region’s innovation capacity and bolstering the development of local talent, to co-create a technology-enabled future.

Singapore is already one of five Asian cities ranked among the top 10 locations for innovation centers worldwide, according to Capgemini Consulting’s research, with Asia now rivalling Silicon Valley as a new home to global innovation centers. Capgemini’s AIE enables local and regional organizations to future-proof themselves, by proactively planning for forthcoming transformations by responding in an agile way that breaks with the traditional siloed models of Research & Development (R&D).

“Businesses are now focused on how to embrace and apply innovation with speed and scale in a secure and sustainable way. This requires a new way of thinking and working, in which companies drive corporate innovation through collaboration with a broad innovation ecosystem, to reinvent themselves for tomorrow’s business challenges,” said Lanny Cohen, Global Chief Technology Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee at Capgemini. “With its vibrant start-up scene and business friendly environment, Singapore is the vanguard of Asia’s rise as an innovation superpower and the perfect location for Capgemini to establish our first AIE in Southeast Asia.”

Capgemini’s AIE Enhances the Start-up Ecosystem
From the beginning, the Singapore AIE will be working with Capgemini’s partners and academic institutions in Singapore to develop a databank of knowledge and expertise specifically for Singapore. It will also work globally with existing AIEs in locations such as London, Munich, Mumbai, Paris, and San Francisco.

In addition, Capgemini’s InnovatorsRace50, a global competition for start-ups and entrepreneurs, is now open to applicants worldwide including from across Singapore and the APAC region. Launched in January with an entry deadline of March 6, the competition provides start-ups with an international platform to showcase the potential of their products, services or innovative uses of technology to disrupt businesses and industries.

Through celebrating the spirit of innovative entrepreneurship, this special 50th Anniversary edition of Capgemini’s Innovators Race series offers five winning start-ups the opportunity to secure equity free-funding of US$50,000, extensive networking opportunities, participation in international tech events, access to industry experts, and the opportunity to become a Capgemini partner.

“Singapore’s recent Committee for the Future Economy report underscored the nation’s need to further develop innovation by fostering entrepreneurial talent and collaborating with innovation hubs. To that end, we are committed to working closely with our key partners, the Economic Development Board, and the city’s varied ecosystem of innovators and start-ups to create new solutions for companies to future-proof their businesses,” said Luc-François Salvador, Executive Chairman of Capgemini Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

How the Applied Innovation Exchange Works
Leveraging Capgemini’s inherent culture of applied innovation, the AIE framework helps organizations foster a structured approach to drive the innovation process comprising four phases – Discover, Devise, Deploy, and Sustain. It enables companies to systematically work through the process of innovation, uncover and experiment with new creative ideas, while simultaneously remaining agile enough to respond to the constant market and technology shifts. Companies from industries such as automotive, manufacturing, consumer products and retail, banking and insurance, and energy and utilities have used this framework to help drive real and sustainable growth opportunities for their businesses. The new AIE will also function as a gateway to broader and deeper knowledge by providing businesses from Singapore and neighboring nations access to a wider global ecosystem of emerging technologies and innovation collaborators, as well as to the entirety of Capgemini’s leading innovation capabilities and expertise.

Samuel Tan, Chief Digital Officer, Singapore Power said, “In today’s fast changing world, innovation does not happen in a vacuum, and cannot be contained within an organization. Innovation is a process, and requires an ecosystem of partners that enable you to be aware, agile and imaginative. Rapid innovations with a fail-fast mindset are critical to foster this ecosystem. The traditional models of procurement are also fast changing since innovation is not confined to a single partner, and hence cannot be ‘procured’. When it comes to innovation, the ecosystem outpaces the individual, and therefore, finding the best brains to collaborate with is the mantra for smart innovation.”

Growing Local Talent
Capgemini works closely on talent initiatives with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), with Managing Director Mr Yeoh Keat Chuan inaugurating the launch of the AIE as one the Guests-of-Honors. In line with the recommendations of the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE), Capgemini will continue to make the training of its employees its top priority. Among its mentorship and training programs, Capgemini offers a 12-month graduate program to train budding local talent in the technology sector. Graduates have the opportunity to learn firsthand from industry experts in the AIE to develop their skills and knowledge in business lines, such as Cybersecurity, Insights & Data, Digital Customer Experience, Digital Manufacturing and emerging technologies.

Capgemini has hired 35 graduates in Singapore over the past six months, and intends to hire another 50 more over the next 12 months, as part of its commitment to develop local talent in Singapore.

“With talent development at the very core of our industry development strategy in the infocommunications and media sector, we are pleased to learn that Capgemini will allow our young graduates to work on real-life problems that centre on technological fields such as cybersecurity, software development and data analytics,” said Yeoh Keat Chuan, Managing Director at EDB. “We are confident that Capgemini’s Applied Innovation Exchange will accelerate the rate at which new solutions are prototyped to solve future business problems, supporting our drive to build an innovation-led economy.”

Re-disseminated by The Asian Banker