Innovation and sustainability: the new Avolta NEXT F&B Hub Milan opens its doors to the startups of the future
On November 26th, 2024, we officially opened the doors of our Avolta NEXT F&B Hub Milan at our headquarters on the outskirts of Milan. This new space focuses entirely on innovation and sustainability, two strategic pillars for our group, and aims to revolutionize the Food & Beverage and travel retail sectors.
Located within Autogrill’s historic headquarters, this hub offers startups a collaborative environment to work on three key themes: customer experience, operations and employee experience, and sustainability.
In addition to the workspace, startups will benefit from direct funding, an acceleration program, dedicated mentorship, and the opportunity to showcase their projects on a global stage, reaching millions of travelers worldwide. This initiative is designed to make their projects grow and make them more attractive to potential partners or investors.
The project draws inspiration from the success of the initiative launched at Fiumicino Airport in collaboration with ADR and Mundys, promoting the sharing of experiences and expertise across the various entities within our ecosystem.
The five startups selected from the first Call, chosen from over 100 applications from four different continents, are already working on innovative solutions to enhance the experience in our points of sale, striving to make it more sustainable and aligned with consumer expectations.
Among the projects under development are Hoooly! by Ganiga Innovation, a smart trash bin that uses AI to automatically separate waste and provides valuable data to improve waste management and sustainability; Plastiz, focused on recycling plastic waste to create aesthetically pleasing and functional surfaces and Loquis, an app available in seven languages that helps travelers discover local culture and attractions in a more mindful way.
During the opening event, we had the honor of hosting a dialogue featuring Luciano Floridi, Director of the Digital Ethics Center at Yale University, Alessandro Benetton, Chairman of Edizione, and Xavier Rossinyol, CEO of Avolta, moderated by Mia Ceran.
Following this, Luca D’Alba, General Manager of Autogrill Italy, and Maurus Lienhard, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Avolta, detailed the innovation program of Autogrill and Avolta.
What’s next? The second Call 4 Start-up, scheduled for 2025, aims to engage more innovative startups ready to reshape the future of the sector.
