Mission
To promote technological innovation for human benefit
Since its creation in 1982, Altran has been involved in major innovations over the years, effectively helping to develop those of tomorrow. Having become a global leader in innovation consulting, the Group wished to use the skills it has developed for the common good.
In 1996, Altran created a new independent entity: the Altran Foundation for Innovation. Its mission is to "Promote technological innovation for human benefit" and its objectives are as follows:
- to promote the emergence of creative ideas
- to support the development of innovative ideas
- to enable projects to progress more quickly
According to its statutes, the Foundation must select the projects that it will support via a competition.
An international Award for innovative scientific projects
Before 2012, the Altran Foundation for Innovation used to organise each year an international competition for innovative scientific projects that benefit the common good. Starting this year, a national competition is organised in all participating countries, followed by an international final. In each country, the Foundation selects a specific theme and rewards the best innovative project.
Reward: skills sponsorship
Beyond awarding a traditional prize, the Foundation offers the laureate a reward that is innovative in itself: support for the project from a team of engineers from the Altran group.
This technological support may cover all the steps and areas related to the project: development of the technologies, design, industrialisation, intellectual property, project management, cost optimisation, the search for partners, marketing, communication, etc.
Altran's expertise in research and scientific innovation is a unique opportunity for the candidates. This enables them to give shape to their idea and transform their project into an industrial reality.
As this is a sponsoring activity, the Altran group does not receive any income from it.
An independent jury
The Altran Foundation for Innovation entrusts national juries the task of selecting a laureate from among the candidates. The jury is made up of experts selected according to the suitability of their skills for the theme chosen; specialists from research, politics, teaching, industry, etc., or persons recognised for their position as a leader in innovation, etc.
According to Foundation rules, the jury for the competitions must be replaced each year and no Altran employee may take part. It may meet on several occasions, for example to select the 6 best projects, or during the Grand Oral (finalist interviews) to determine the Award laureate.
Some examples of jury presidents from previous competitions:
- Vigdís Finnbogadottir in 2002 - first female President of Iceland.
- Philippe Busquin in 2004 - former European Commissioner for Research.
- Jean-Luc Dehaene in 2005 - former Prime Minister of Belgium.
- Corinne Lepage in 2006 - French Minister for the Environment from 1995 to 1997 and President of CAP 21 (Citizenship Action Participation for the 21st century).
- Pierre Tambourin in 2007 - Managing Director of Genopole®, Vice-President of the Competitiveness department at the Medicen competitiveness cluster.
- Léopold Demiddeleer in 2008 - Director of Corporate R&D & New Business Development, Solvay.
A well-known civil commitment
The Altran Foundation for Innovation benefits from over 15 years' experience and its action is now well-known. In 2006, at the Oscars du Mécénat organised by ADMICAL*, the Foundation received the Prix de la Fondation de France to recognise the originality and longevity of its competition.
* ADMICAL (Association for the Development of Industrial and Commercial Sponsorship).
