Leasys and I3P launch the new edition of "Digital Factory": Open Innovation for the mobility of the future

• Digital Factory is the call for start-ups with which Leasys and Leasys Rent, together with I3P, are seeking innovative solutions to support the digitalization process that the two companies are pursuing.
• Participation in the call is open to young, innovative Italian and international companies, and is free of charge: proposals can be submitted until 25 February 2022.
• The winning team will receive the opportunity and resources to test its technical solution by developing Proofs of Concepts together with Leasys and Leasys Rent.

Turin, 11 January 2022

Leasys, a Stellantis brand and a subsidiary of FCA Bank, and I3P, the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino, introduce the new edition of "Digital Factory", an exploratory call for young Italian and international start-ups. The goal is to identify new solutions that can make a decisive contribution to the technological and digital transformation of the company, leader in Italy in long-term rentals, and of Leasys Rent, which specializes in short- and medium-term rentals.

The 2022 edition of the initiative is part of Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance's Start&Pulse program, with its emphasis on Open Innovation.  Specifically, the call will focus on research into technological processes intended to improve customer experience, on the one hand, and internal processes and corporate know-how, on the other.

Participation in the call is free of charge and proposals can be submitted from 11 January until 25 February 2022 on the digitalfactory.leasys.com website. The proposed solutions will be evaluated by a committee of experts, which will select the finalists for the ensuing closing event by March. The winning team will have the resources to develop a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) with which to field test the feasibility of the use case presented, thus coming into direct contact with the business operations of Leasys and Leasys Rent.

The call is launched in a context where technological and regulatory changes have led to new consumer requirements and new challenges for operators, opening up important avenues for the growth and development of services. In fact, digitalizing means adapting all business processes to the digital age, where speed and operational efficiency play crucial roles.

"We have great confidence and expectations in this initiative. We are certain that the Digital Factory will make a decisive contribution to the search for new technological solutions designed to bolster the innovation process that we have been pursuing for some time now," explained Rolando D'Arco, CEO of Leasys. "The impetus towards digitalization in our sector has accelerated strongly, also as a consequence of the pandemic. This gives added significance to the role and innovative drive of start-ups and SMEs."

“We have collaborated enthusiastically in the creation of the new edition of the Leasys Digital Factory project, which builds on a successful experience," said Giuseppe Scellato, President of I3P. "In addition to being a virtuous example of Open Innovation, the initiative is designed to create synergies between young start-ups and an important company like Leasys, to foster the development of the technologies, products, and services of the future.”  

The 2022 edition of Digital Factory comes in the wake of the success of last year's call, focused on the world of FCA Bank, which resulted in a partnership agreement with Stip, an innovative start-up. Founded in Rome and now based in Silicon Valley, this leading-edge company is using its Artificial Intelligence to help the Bank to maximize the efficiency of its customer service, reducing ticket handling and customer response times.

Leasys

Leasys, a Stellantis Brand and a subsidiary of FCA Bank, a 50:50 joint venture between Stellantis and Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance, was established in September 2001. Leasys provides, together with Leasys Rent, a complete and innovative system of mobility services to individuals, professionals and businesses of all sizes: from short-, medium- and long-term rentals to peer-to-peer car sharing via the U Go platform and I-Link. At the end of 2019, Leasys Rent launched the first car subscription service in Italy with CarCloud. With the Clickar brand, Leasys is also one of the leading Italian online and offline retailers of pre-owned company cars to individuals, professionals and companies. Headquartered in Italy, Leasys began a process of internationalization in 2017 by opening multiple offices throughout Europe: today the company operates in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, Greece, Austria, and Poland, managing a fleet with over 450,000 vehicles by the end of 2021. In June 2019, thanks to Leasys Rent, the company launched the Leasys Mobility Stores, physical outlets with a grassroots presence across Italy. The Stores, which provide customers access to all the mobility services provided by Leasys and Leasys Rent, are now available in France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal as well and will open soon also in the other European countries where the company is operational. With the launch of the first totally electrified Mobility Store in Torino Caselle airport in 2020, followed by many others, Leasys Rent has become a key operator also for sustainable mobility. In fact, thanks to the over 1,000 charging stations installed in all the Stores, Leasys Rent has Italy’s largest private electrified network. In 2021, the electrification project has continued also in the European countries in which Leasys Rent operates.
For more information: www.leasys.com

I3P

The Incubator of the Politecnico di Torino (I3P) supports the birth and development of innovative high-tech start-ups with growth potential founded both by university researchers and students, and by external entrepreneurs, providing strategic consulting, coaching, and mentoring services, as well as support for fundraising and space. Established in 1999, I3P is a joint-stock company owned by the Politecnico di Torino, Fondazione LINKS, Camera di Commercio di Torino, Finpiemonte, Città Metropolitana di Torino and Fondazione Torino Wireless. The mission of the Incubator of the Politecnico di Torino is to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem, with the aim of generating growth and employment in innovative industrial sectors. I3P adopts a strategy of collaboration with private entities and institutions engaged in research and higher education, technology transfer services, innovation financing, and internationalization. In 2019 I3P was named Best Public Incubator on a global scale by UBI Global World Rankings of Business Incubators and Accelerators 2019 – 2020.
For more information: www.i3p.it

For more information:

FCA Bank Communication manager
Valentina Lugli – valentina.lugli@stellantis.com

FCA Bank Press Office & PR
Giovanni Santonastaso – giovanni.santonastaso@stellantis.com

Press Office I3P – Press Play – Communication and public relations
Alessandro Tibaldeschi | +39 333 6692430 | ale@agenziapressplay.it