Marc Evangelista
Vice President IPO
Incubator Europe at Michelin
Marc Evangelista, tell us about Michelin :
ME : "In 1889 the Michelin brothers started what would turn out to be a major human and industrial adventure. Their goal was to bring innovation to modern transportation.
Michelin has been a part of every chapter in automotive history, from the removable pneumatic bicycle tire to the first road touring guide. And we still believe that mobility is one of the pillars of human development.
So, we are as passionate as ever about leveraging innovation to make mobility safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly. Incubating new projects is a part of this constant quest for innovation.
At Michelin, we set up our Incubator Program Office (IPO) in 2014 to host new projects. I have been managing the IPO since its inception. The role of the IPO is to identify projects with the potential to support the company’s growth. We are always on the lookout for projects from within the company. However, we also welcome opportunities from outside the company. The goal is always to find projects with specific objectives and that can be implemented rapidly."
What made you decide to join Minalogic?
ME: "Initially, we asked Minalogic to offer an Open Innovation Day on a topic we were working on at Michelin.
We were impressed with the sheer quality of Minalogic’s people and their capacity to bring in companies of all sizes offering technologies of interest to Michelin. They were just so efficient. The experience spurred us to join Minalogic."
What collaborative R&D projects have you participated in?
ME : "We are engaged in several projects at different levels of maturity.
And, beyond the many very operational leads we are currently exploring, we are also working with another Minalogic member to test and develop a deep learning model for the visual inspection of tires.
We also invested in one of the companies we are working on another technology with, but we are not releasing any more information about the project yet!"
What services have you used since joining Minalogic?
ME : "Beyond the Open Innovation Day, Minalogic is constantly providing us with networking opportunities.
One worth mentioning is the Vehicle of the Future day in Clermont-Ferrand on October 23. We were able to meet with several companies active in a technology of particular interest to us, artificial intelligence.
When we joined Minalogic, we became part of an innovative high-tech ecosystem and, as a result, we have deepened our understanding of that ecosystem.
We also get opportunities to share our experiences with our peers from other large corporations."
What kinds of partnerships are you looking for as a Minalogic member? Business? Innovation?
ME: "We like to keep both doors open. We could be looking for anything from new suppliers to investment opportunities.
However, we have to have a “sponsor” for the project within our organization before we make any commitments. This is to make sure that when we do get a partner involved, it is on a topic that addresses a real need."
