Capgemini launches ‘Innovators Race’ – see the brightest young minds go head to head to solve real business challenges of the digital age

Teams from universities and colleges across the UK, the Netherlands, France, Brazil, North America[1], and India will be asked to submit their ideas via a one-minute ‘selfie’ style video, uploaded to www.innovatorsrace.com. The most popular three entries, in each country, with the most online votes, will be shortlisted and invited to a local final event at the end of November. Each country champion will then compete in the international heats, which will run in a web series from February to April 2016. The top two teams will then compete in a grand finale for the ultimate prize of seeing their solution be brought to life in Capgemini’s flagship Applied Innovation Exchange studio in San Francisco plus a cash prize of $25,000.

Capgemini will host the competition throughout the next seven months, running local heats in its network of innovation studios, centers and labs around the world. The six major brands that will set the real business challenges by country are Barclays (for the UK), AccorHotels (for France), Natura Brazil (for Brazil), Reliance Jio (for India), Openbaar Ministerie – the Netherlands’ public prosecution service (for the Netherlands) and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (for North America). Students will have until the 15th November to submit their creative ideas on how they would address the task with a sustainable solution, showcasing their entry via a ‘selfie’ video. The top 3 teams in each country with maximum votes will then be invited to submit a more detailed presentation, in person, to an expert panel at a local event. The winning team (based on the creativity, feasibility and sustainability of their solution) will go through to battle it out in the global series taking place in the New Year.

“The permanence of today’s market uncertainties has become obvious and no longer in question. New demands are now created for the enterprise to embrace and nurture creative and diverse thinking, continuous innovation, and an ever-increasing global ecosystem of partners of all sizes. Yet few have the proficiencies to do so; let alone do so at speed and scale, securely and sustainably,” explains Lanny Cohen, Global Chief Technology Officer, Capgemini. “Capgemini’s introduction of and market leadership in Applied Innovation provides the foundation and discipline for tomorrow’s enterprise to exploit both the uncertainties and opportunities of tomorrow and to ensure its competitive strength and market leadership. We look forward to an exciting Innovators Race and wish all the teams the best of luck!”

“Innovators Race” will be broadcast on the web on www.innovatorsrace.com. In order to further support the initiative, Capgemini will be sponsoring an original content production on CNN International throughout 2016: “2020 Visionaries”, a series of short documentaries offering an inspirational insight that looks into tomorrow’s world. The technology visionaries featured on this CNN production will be seen interacting with some of the most inspiring students from the Innovators Race.

In 2014 alone Capgemini made 39,900 new hires, 41percent of whom were recent graduates.

For more information about Innovators Race or to enter the competition go to www.innovatorsrace.com

About Capgemini

Now with 180,000 people in over 40 countries, Capgemini is one of the world’s foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services. The Group reported 2014 global revenues of EUR 10.573 billion. Together with its clients, Capgemini creates and delivers business, technology and digital solutions that fit their needs, enabling them to achieve innovation and competitiveness. A deeply multicultural organization, Capgemini has developed its own way of working, the Collaborative Business Experience^TM, and draws on Rightshore^®, its worldwide delivery model.

Rightshore^® is a trademark belonging to Capgemini

[1] North America covers the USA and Canada