r&d/innovation at saint-gobain: reaching out · saint-gobain today (2006) 206,000 employees 1.6...
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R&D/innovation at Saint-Gobain:
reaching out
Armand AJDARI
Deputy R&D Vice President
Saint-Gobain
1. Saint-Gobain at a glance
2. R&D at a glance
3. R&D: Reaching out
1
Saint-Gobain: an ancient company1665: Versailles: Louis XIV
Saint-Gobain today (2006)
206,000 employees
1.6
3.3
2.2
41.6
2006
Plus de 1 400 sociétés consolidées
Capital expenditure
Cash flow
Net income
Sales
€ bn
More than 1,400 companies consolidated
Industrial presence worldwide
Sales
Saint-Gobain: 5 sectorsFlat Glass (12%)
Packaging
(10%)
Construction
Products (25%)
High Performance
Materials (12%)
Building
Distribution (41%)
Historically, materials fabrication based B to B:
- a huge number of Business Units, a great variety of markets,
an immense number of products and technologies
- traditionnaly: great autonomy of businesses
- a recent innovation: distribution of construction materials
Flat GlassBase product Building Automotive Specialties
High Performance MaterialsGrains& Powders Ceramics AbrasivesCrystals Glass textilesPlastics
Building ProductsInsulation Pipes Exter. productsMortars Gypsum
Saint-Gobain’s strategy« worldwide leadership in the construction market, offering innovative solutions
to meet the challenges of our time: growth, energy, environment. »
1. Saint-Gobain at a glance
2. R&D at a glance
3. R&D: Reaching out
2
R&D : figuresUSA Europe Asia
Northboro
BluebellJackson
Stow
Milford
Pont-à-Mousson
Aviles
Chalon/Saône
Chantereine
Rantigny
Aubervilliers
Cavaillon
Herzogenrath
Shanghai
East Leake
Gunsan
Ladenburg
> 3 500 employees
> 390 millions euros in 2007 (growing)
> 15 research centers + 101 development teams
> 300 new patents filed each year
R&D’s missionSAINT-GOBAIN’S MISSION STATEMENT
« worldwide leadership in the construction market, offering innovative solutionsto meet the challenges of our time: growth, energy, environment. »
Support businesses by product and process innovation on our existing markets (incremental innovation)
Generate and support strategic moves and penetration of new markets (radical innovation)
Organization designed to make sure first mission fulfilled: deeply integrated in the businesses (each has its R&D organization)
Challenge: how to succeed in second mission in parallel ?
1. Saint-Gobain at a glance
2. R&D at a glance
3. R&D: Reaching out
3
Actions: recent moves
A- Projects organization: drive from corporate R&D
Strategic Projects (reaching out towards new markets)
Transversal programs (reaching out internally)
B- Centers organization:
Transversal Research Centers
Moving towards Asia
C- Reaching out externally
Partnerships
Techno-Marketing
External venturing
Academic contacts
A- Strategic projects
Market-oriented
Already existing market SG wants to enter
Emerging markets
Innovation means of penetrating these markets
Validated by the board of the company
Strong support from corporate R&D
Harbored by a business
Innovative, expensive, risky projects
with high technical content
Transversal programs
reaching out internally …
Multi-sector/multi-center programs
on technology topics of strategic interests
shared by different businesses
Objectives :
Leverage our cross-disciplinary expertise
Identify and satisfy common needs
Upstream competencies (academia, consultants)
Downstream (market knowledge + contacts)
Remember:
>1400 companies consolidated
.. to better reach out externally
Aubervilliers, FranceNorthboro, USA
Main competencies :
Glass, coatings, materials
Number :
320 employees
Budget 2006 :
40 M€
Main competencies :
Ceramics, Abrasives, Plastics
Number :
410 employees
Budget 2006 :
50 M€
B- Strengthening transversal R&D centers : Cavaillon, France
Main competencies :
Ceramics, catalysis
Number :
240 employees
Budget 2006 :
35 M€
• In charge of developing our key competencies
• Critical mass to carry out breakthrough work
home of our strategic projects
• Hubs for academic contacts (reaching out)
• Attractive place for talented young scientists
Most of the (important) growth of our R&D population
A new transversal R&D center: SGR Shanghaï
Architecte: Arte Charpentier & associés
Grand opening in September 2007A center to serve the specific needs of Asian markets
A window to reach customers, innovation partners, academic contacts
C- Anticipate, move fast:
-> Reach out (more than before)
1. Develop partnerships
2. A Techno-Marketing Team
3. An External Venturing team
4. SUN: Upstream contacts with Academia
This is a cultural change
in a secrecy prone industrial R&D
1- Partnerships as part of the R&D projects:
Strong push to exchange with potential customers: NDAs
essential for new markets
not traditional for R&D people (secrecy)
eased if proper IP position (beyond defensive)
Aim at co-developments: JDAs, JVs
Provides better understanding of market/techno
Reduces time to market
Lighting: start-ups + big players
Photovoltaics: JV Avancis (Shell)
Acquisitions combined with R&D
to get access to new markets
(combined with R&D)
2- A Techno-Marketing Team
Identify new applications for existing technologies
Assess emerging markets and technologies
Propose new approaches for new/existing markets
Cross-fertilizing core strengths
Beyond what current BUs already do well
For large market & application potentials
20 dedicated persons: Europe, US, Asia, mix of marketing and engineers
3- An External Venturing initiative
Started 22 months ago by establishment of a dedicated teamin Europe, US and Asia
Combine ideas stemming from Innovative start ups with the industrial strength and assets of Saint-Gobain
Variety of working methods: licenses, partnerships, equity investments and joint ventures
~400 companies reviewed, 4 partnerships agreed and 20 under active due diligences or discussion
Focused area: Construction Products, Energy and Environment
Can lead to acquisitions providing access to new markets,
to codevelopment partnerships, or simply stimulates our R&D !
Input: from Venture Capital funds + internal (marketing, R&D)
Output: transfer to Businesses (sponsors identified early on)
To develop long-term interactions with the best research teams in our domains
To keep an eye on technological developments
To hire of students from top universities in countries of strategic importance for Saint-Gobain by making our technologies better known
Saint-Gobain University Network:
SUN
4- An academic network
Specific links with the French System
Many contracts (50 per year) with CNRS in France:
A framework agreement signed between CNRS and Saint-Gobain 2007
Two joint labs with CNRS within our centers
(CNRS and Saint-Gobain researchers)
A lab in Saint-Gobain Recherche, Aubervilliers.
A lab in CREE research center, Cavaillon.
Efficient links to the academic world
SUN : Saint-Gobain University Network
signed 2007, under way 2008
Wide line
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Lomonosov
University
Harvard
University of
California at SB
NIMS
University of
Sao Paolo
◘
IIT Madras
.
CNRS
Chair X/ESPCI
MIT
Aachen
Mûnchen
◘
Reaching out to innovate:
for efficiency, anticipation and strategic moves
Leverage transversality internally to reach critical mass
Some specific dedicated structures
A cultural change: systematic support + incentives
.. while remaining focused on serving efficiently existing businesses
343 years of innovation