Lazio Region, Guardian wins the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane challenge

Rome, 10 June 2019

The “Digitale per la Mobilità” (“Digital for Mobility”) challenge, launched by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane for young companies and innovators through an open innovation from the Lazio Region, has come to an end. The challenge aimed to find innovative solutions to address mobility issues.

The initiative is part of the strategic open innovation programme that the Lazio Region activated some time ago. This is the ninth challenge to have been completed so far, with the aim of connecting large companies already operating in the markets with the energy, creativity and expertise of talents and startups. It is a way to offer young enterprises headquartered or operating in Lazio the opportunity to reach out to potential investors and open up new markets whilst also being an opportunity for large companies to intercept innovative ideas that would be difficult to develop in house.

The Lazio Region challenges are all carried out in the Spazi Attivi di Lazio Innova, where young companies present their innovation to large national corporations with programmes and projects covering all sectors, including artificial intelligence, big data, smart and sustainable mobility, IoT (Internet of Things) and new technologies applied in traditional areas.

In particular, this competition is focused on the relationship between travellers, infrastructure and the train, in an attempt to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service whilst also ensuring a better quality of life for people. It is the first step in the collaboration between Ferrovie delle Stato Italiane and the Lazio Region.

The six young companies in the race were challenged over two months of designing and studying project feasibility, supported by a mentorship of the tutors of Lazio Innova, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and Digital Magics.

The final event was held in Rome at WEGIL and saw, amongst others, the participation of the Lazio Region Councillor for Economic Development, Gian Paolo Manzella, Innovation Manager for Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, Franco Stivali, Chief Information Officer of Trenitalia Danilo Gismondi, along with Digital Magics as partner of the challenge.

“This collaboration with Ferrovie dello Stato is part of the challenge programme organised by the Lazio Region to try to bring innovators and startups closer to the big companies within the territory. One of the challenges concerns a modern and effective way to enhance the ideas that can help improve the quality of life for all of us and to become a major business for companies facing the market. It is part of a commitment to innovation and to innovative companies that is one of the priorities of our administrative action; a commitment that has taken the forms of the ‘StartupLazio!’ with which Lazio Innova - the regional development agency - collaborates in its organisational capacity”, commented the Regional Councillor for Economic Development, Gian Paolo Manzella.

“The FS Italiane Group is constantly working to ensure quality services for people and to make shared and collective mobility increasingly integrated and sustainable throughout Italy”, says Franco Stivali, Innovation Manager of FS Italiane. “For FS Italiane it is thus increasingly important to open up in order to intercept innovative ideas, expanding the network of innovation and coming into contact with young companies and startups involved in the development of projects dedicated to integrated mobility. In this view of open innovation, the challenge promoted in collaboration with Lazio Innova is a great opportunity for FS Italiane regarding innovation for the services offered to the people throughout the country.”

The winning startup Guardian received a prize of 10,000 euro, whilst all participants were offered the opportunity to trigger business relations and synergy with the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group, helping to develop a great mobility and logistics project for Italy.