Concept

Based on the innovation cores that we have determined, we regularly pick and evaluate innovation projects that we want to invest in. These projects, based on agile work methods, are built around project groups that are multidisciplinary and that work together to bring ideas to life that will be viable and contribute to our company's success. 

These projects, beyond the benefits to our company, enable innovators to work on different topics, and with a different approach that break up their usual daily habits. This is a fundamental shift in the company's culture towards innovation, and aims to pioneer new work and management methods.

3D Printed Connector

One of the pilot projects of our innovation team is the 3D printed connector. Our teams are currently testing 3D printing techniques to design and produce inserts that can be integrated into functional connectors. Our innovation team is working to determine the limits of 3D printing, and will soon set up a team dedicated to the production of functional customized inserts. To learn more about our 3D printing project, click here.

What is the purpose of an innovation facilitator in this kind of subject ?  

“My target is to bring innovators to think out of the box, and to create some innovative concept. We cannot reach this kind of goals without change our way to work. As a big company, it is possible to have innovators, in the same group, that have not worked together yet. Indeed, innovators groups are formed with a lot of diversity. Having a facilitator will help them and reassure them when the winding path of innovation will make them doubt.” 

Quentin Fayard, Innovation Facilitator - SOURIAU Sarthe (Champagné)

Why do you separate and differentiate innovation projects from regular project developments? 

“For two reasons:

• First, innovation usually means technical risk, time and doubt, all factors that normally you want to keep out of a development project.
• Second, development projects are most of the time technical projects. However you can innovate on all sort of area (customer experience, organization, value capture…). To manage  projects dedicated to innovation allows more opportunities and flexibility. It helps us to think out of the box.”

Béatrice Couvel, Innovation Manager - SOURIAU Paris (Marolles)

How do we approach Innovation?

As part of a multinational company, we encounter many different challenges where out of the box solutions are required in order to solve them. At SOURIAU-SUNBANK, we embraced this opportunity and created forums that allow us to share these solutions amongst our international teams while at the same time we exchange experiences that we have encountered in any given subject.

Whether we talk about a new product idea, a key process improvement or the next big technology that will be coming out, this experience enables us to be truly open to new challenges and opportunities.

Alonso Robles, Product Manager - SUNBANK (Paso Robles