On Tuesday 10 September, the Innovation Day took place to mark the start of the partnership between Brussels Airport Company and PlugandPlay.
Innovation as DNA of Brussels Airport
In the years ahead, Brussels Airport wants to focus on innovation to improve its products and services for all its customer groups.
In this context, Brussels Airport recently entered into a partnership with PlugandPlay, a global open innovation platform that enables, moderates and facilitates collaboration between large and established corporates and start-ups. This partnership is perfectly in line with the business strategy of Brussels Airport, because innovation and collaboration are driving forces behind the Destination 2021 corporate strategy.
Innovation Day
The kick-off of the three-year partnership was given during the Innovation Day on Tuesday 10 September in the Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel. In addition to Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company, various representatives of other partners from the Travel & Hospitality programme of PlugandPlay were also present, together with various airport partners and start-ups. These start-ups came to pitch their products and services in the area of baggage as a service, mobility as a service, smart airports/cities and sustainability.
During the event, Brussels Airport spoke about its role as a forerunner for innovation in the aviation industry, an ambition that allows the expansion of the open innovation eco-system to Belgium and Europe. Quite a few start-ups also presented their innovative products and services.
“Because it will be ‘exciting’: innovation by its very nature pushes the boundaries of what we know and what we believe we can do. This means that we must challenge the rules and think beyond the limitations of day-to-day issues. But we must not innovate for the sake of innovation. If we are to be successful in the long run, we must focus. And our focus is twofold: firstly, on the customer and secondly on travel and hospitality, in line with our core activities”, says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.
View the video.