The Bizlab is a unique concept: it is a hybrid structure welcoming company employees, “entrepreneurs” as well as startups from all around the world. Since only seven projects per year are immersed, the incubator is known for its rigorous selection.
Once selected, each start-up takes advantage of a €50k funding, and is immersed on a Campus, close to Airbus plants. A mix between “intrapreneurs” and entrepreneurs makes everyone benefit from the strong experience of his peers. By this way, 42% of projects succeed and are turned into real activity. Over three years, 50 startups were accelerated and 40 internal projects were supported.

This broad openness is a way for Airbus to win the global race for innovation. On June 7, the company invited investors and the Medias to a presentation of start-ups supported by the Bizlab. A Market Place was set up in the A380 plant to highlight a variety of innovative projects. Amongst others, projects developing virtual reality, innovative batteries, artificial intelligence, web applications or big data software clearly demonstrated that the Bizlab is an explosion of expertise and talents. This year, Airbus has just expanded its global network of Bizlabs by opening a fourth campus in Madrid, Spain (after Toulouse, Hamburg, and Bangalore in India).

Airbus Bizlab is seeking projects for the development of existing products, services, or applications related to aerospace industry and beyond. Topics wanted are: data analytics and artificial intelligence, digital design and production, autonomous vehicles and robotics, drones and urban mobility, electrification and connectivity, virtual reality and augmented reality, new space solutions and SmartCity, as well as Blockchain or security. A new 2018 call for projects has recently been launched with a nomination period running until June 24th.

Nadia Didelot for AeroMorning