[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Since spring 2019, Disneyland Paris has partnered with The Village by CA Brie Picardie, a new business accelerator dedicated to start-ups in the heart of Val d’Europe.
Disneyland Paris is continually pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation, maintaining a culture in which curiosity, agility, initiative and collaboration flourish and thrive. Our vision extends beyond the resort itself to surrounding communities thanks to a new partnership with The Village by CA Brie Picardie, fostering accelerated innovation with promising local start-ups. This follows the launch of The Castle Hub platform in 2018, which serves as a connection point between Disneyland Paris and local start-ups with cutting-edge ideas and solutions to improve employee and customer experiences.
A global approach
Our partnership with The Village by CA Brie Picardie is just the latest step in the ongoing evolution of Disneyland Paris as we seek to empower guests with enhanced technological and digital environments, sustainably transform working methods and business models, and reduce our environmental footprint using new innovative solutions.
Thus in 2018, Disneyland Paris launched an official open platform called The Castle Hub to foster collaboration amongst European start-ups. Today, we are working with seven start-ups and have nine more under study on various topics including guest experience enhancements and interactive entertainment applications. The resort’s innovation even extends to environmental initiatives, for which Disneyland Paris and The Walt Disney Company have an ambitious program – including water use savings and waste recycling – which is already seeing positive results.
In celebration of the launch, the first group of start-ups participated in an elevator-style pitch competition inside Tower of Terror in May 2018, which led to our first great collaboration: Aglaé, which proposes a new type of scenography with flowers thanks to a serum of plant bioluminescence. This is only the beginning as Disneyland Paris demonstrates a perpetual commitment to innovation across the resort while encouraging the development of young companies.
A programme perfectly suited to the destination’s challenges
The Village by CA Brie Picardie is primarily a meeting point that connects start-ups with large- and medium-sized businesses which are members of the Crédit Agricole Group’s accelerator network. Disneyland Paris is an ambassador of this business accelerator, alongside other major partners who are ready to commit to and invest in these future talents.
This collaboration is an opportunity for Disneyland Paris to work with innovative young companies focused on three themes directly related to our destination and Val d’Europe: construction of a sustainable city, tourism economy, and the food and beverage industry. The short-term objective of this partnership is to participate in the development of sustainable solutions with local players, and the long-term goal is to contribute to the attractiveness and economic development of the area.
Through the national network of The Village by CA, our destination can find new solutions across France and expand the open innovation ecosystem between these young companies and Disneyland Paris directly in line with our values of curiosity and collaboration. Thus, start-ups can develop in the best possible conditions, spurring accelerated growth while taking inspiration from and experimenting with new ways of working in the attractive economic urban environment of Val d’Europe.
Eight start-ups make up the first round of The Village by CA Brie Picardie. The second call for applications launched in mid-September.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]