Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) manages and develops the Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, which welcomed over 44.5 million passengers in 2023. Fiumicino is the first and only airport in Italy with a Skytrax rating of 5 Stars for excellent standards in service quality. ADR recognises the value of fostering innovation and enhancing passenger experience through strategic international partnerships.
ADR’s Giulio Ranucci, Head of Innovation & Digital, and Giovanni Gennaro, Open Innovation Manager, visited Japan in early May to discuss potential collaboration with Narita and Haneda Airports, as well as to discover new technologies and sustainable solutions in airport mobility.
Overcoming Challenges through Collaboration
Despite the benefits of collaboration, navigating cultural nuances, language barriers, and divergent strategic approaches can pose significant challenges. This is particularly evident in Japan, a country renowned for its technological prowess and unique business culture. The language barrier, in particular, presents a formidable obstacle, hindering effective communication and access to Japan's wealth of innovative technologies.
Trusted Corporation advised ADR by identifying, establishing and facilitating meetings with decision-makers in Japan's aviation and automotive industries. The meetings were an opportunity to present ADR’s development plan and to push forward its innovation initiatives such as the Runway to the Future acceleration program and the Airports for Innovation global network.
Creating Global Networks for Innovation
The meetings with Haneda and Narita airport took place in their HQ offices. ADR presented its Open Innovation model to leaders of the two organisations who found it insightful and valuable. Narita International Airport, in particular, joined Airports For Innovation, a network of global airports, launched and promoted by ADR and Aena in 2022, that share the common goal to promote innovation and startups, and to redefine and improve the passenger experience with a more sustainable and innovative approach. The aim of the network is to launch the first ever joint call for startups in the aviation industry, shaping the future aviation industry standards. Both the airports expressed a great interest in participating to ACI Airport Innovate (26-28 November).
Current members of the network include ADR, Aena, Athens International Airport, Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, Munich International Airport, Dubai Airports, Oman Airports.
The Future of Aviation Innovation
The aviation industry is evolving rapidly, propelled by technological advancements and shifting consumer expectations. As air travel continues to grow, airports worldwide face the challenge of adapting to meet the demands of an increasingly interconnected world.
As ADR continues to forge partnerships and drive innovation, the importance of global collaboration cannot be overstated. From sharing best practices to co-creating solutions, collaboration holds the key to unlocking new possibilities and ensuring a seamless passenger experience worldwide.
Empowering Innovation from Within
ADR believes that employees are the key to enable startups that are dedicated to building the airport of the future. For this reason, ADR created the Innovation Cabin Crew – a group of almost 30 senior company leaders whose expertise in the field will help them mentor startups, explaining the intricacies of the airport ecosystem and how to implement their services and projects inside a complex infrastructure. ADR has also launched an intrapreneurship program, the Hangar Program, to engage the entire company in its innovation model. The winning team from this program will have the opportunity to develop their solution in collaboration with a startup from the Runway to the Future Acceleration Program.
Physical Spaces for Collaboration
ADR's commitment to fostering innovation extends beyond virtual spaces. They've created a dedicated Innovation Hub within Terminal 1 at Fiumicino Airport. This 700 sqm physical space provides startups with a real-world environment to develop, test, and refine their ideas.
Accelerating Innovation through Programs
The Runway to the Future Acceleration Program, showcases their dedication to fostering global innovation. ADR recently launched its 3rd international Call4Startups to select the best international startups and their innovative solutions. Across the 3 editions, ADR has reached over 600 global startups and almost 1000 proposals submitted. ADR initiated 26 PoCs through the program with a 50% conversion rate in terms of rollout. In the last Call4Startups alone, 389 startups from all over the world applied submitting 716 different proposals.
Investing in the Future: ADR Ventures
In February 2023, ADR took another bold step towards the future by launching ADR Ventures, their very own Corporate Venture Capital fund. This fund provides strategic support and investment to the most promising startups identified through the Runway to the Future Acceleration Program. By providing financial backing, ADR Ventures helps these startups - such as Assaia and Ottonomy participants of the first batch - scale their solutions commercially, accelerating innovation within the aviation industry.
Get Involved
If you are interested in exploring potential collaboration with Japanese enterprises, government, start-ups, and universities, feel free to reach out to us. If the project presents a good synergy and benefits our clients and partners in Japan, we will open doors for you and support you every step of the journey.
You can find out more about collaboration opportunities with ADR in this article.
ADR Contact Information:
alice.tosti@adr.it Open Innovation & Acceleration Program Specialist
giovanni.gennaro@adr.it Open Innovation Manager
luigi.dipiazza@adr.it Investment Manager ADR Ventures
Trusted Corporation’s Contact Information:
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