Open Call – EIC Corporate Day with Skoda: Let’s put innovation to the test together for better Marketing effectiveness, Creative digital solutions and Sustainability!

The European Innovation Council (EIC) Business Acceleration Services and Škoda invite EIC beneficiaries to apply to a physical EIC Corporate Day on 6 and 7 June 2023 in Prague (Czech Republic). This specially designed service is meant to gear up collaboration with the corporate and forge new partnerships. EIC innovators with solutions to challenges such as Data, Brand and Sustainability are invited to apply. 

Make sure to APPLY until 21 April 2023!  

With more than 160 years of existence, Škoda is a direct successor to the mechanical engineering plants founded in 1859 by Count Wallenstein and a major European company in the field of transportation engineering. The Škoda Group has a production portfolio of modern vehicles that meet the latest European standards. The corporate’s main products include low-floor trams, trolleybuses, electric locomotives, suburban train units, electric motors and complete drives for transportation systems, plus deal with the development of digitisation and IT, and naturally also technology for vehicles and other industries. Škoda has a stable employee base of over five and a half thousand people. 

EIC beneficiaries selected to attend the EIC Corporate Day with Škoda on 6 and 7 June 2023 will have access to specific training for pitching, pre-arranged meetings with top decision-makers from Škoda, and the possibility to network with high-level partners and like-minded innovators in a dedicated event at a location to be determined in Prague (Czech Republic).   

Who can apply?   

This is an exclusive call for EIC beneficiaries. Applications are open for EIC beneficiaries that can provide innovative solutions to the following Škoda challenges:    

Challenge 1 – Data

Scope: With the depreciation of the cookie looming combined with increasing access to more rich data signals, Škoda is looking for innovative ways to understand and target their consumer better. How can Škoda use (GDPR compliant) data in new and interesting ways to help improve: 

• Overall marketing effectiveness (e.g., conversions to the site, click-through rate, video view-through rate) 

• Creative (e.g., using technology to understand how and why their creative is performing well) 

• Attention (e.g., ensuring that not only is their ad in view but it is being actively watched) 

• Emotion (e.g., ensure they are targeting the consumer in the right mindset with the right sort of message)

Impact: Škoda is looking for ad-tech solutions that can be applied at a campaign level. These solutions must use data in interesting ways to help them understand their consumer better, determine how and/or why their creative is working, and target their audience more effectively across a variety of channels (whilst also making sure that data privacy is respected).

Challenge 2 – Brand

Scope: Curiosity and exploration are at the heart of everything Škoda does. They believe their audience is optimistic, creative are innately curious for discovery. By helping their consumer to explore the world around them, Škoda can be seen as the brand that can help unlock people's curiosity…be that taking a road trip to a remote village in another country, or taking the family to a new restaurant in the local town. This curious mindset leads to personal growth and seeing the world from different perspectives, which ultimately enables their audience to live smarter, better lives. Škoda is looking for start-ups within the creative technology field that own creative digital solutions and ideas that can facilitate curiosity, deliver it in engaging ways to their consumers, and then reward those who explore the world around them. Companies that can help deliver this can work in (but are not limited to) fields such as: 

• AR – Persistent AR experience that can help guide people to interesting places 

• Web 3.0 – using digital wallets and blockchain technology to help reward their audience by helping others to explore and discover new things

• Metaverse – How can they use gaming technology and partnerships to embody curiosity 

• Interactive video – creating a personalised ad experience that helps users embrace curiosity and choose their own adventure 

• Experiential Out of Home – Think of stunts and experiences that can help people envision how curiosity can be rewarded 

Impact: To help support brand campaign initiatives Škoda is looking for creative technology providers who can create consumer-facing experiences that help facilitate discovery in innovative ways, and rewards their consumers for being curious.

Challenge 3 – Sustainability

Scope: There is no escaping the fact that Škoda is an automotive company, but it still wants to do good in the world and reduce emissions as much as it can. Škoda is doing this at a product level by releasing electric vehicles but also wants to see how they can use innovative green solutions within their marketing and communication to either:  

1) Silently offset in the background with solutions such as (but not limited to): 

• Digital offsetting – using digital tracking solutions that can track and offset digital media 

• Workflow – workflow solutions that can help reduce the climate impact of their asset production (think tools that reduce the amount of energy needed to design and ad-serve creative) 

• Ad networks – using digital networks that have demonstrated their ability to show creativity in a carbon-neutral or negative way 

Or 2) Overtly show how Škoda is trying to be greener in innovative outwards facing comms acts for its electric vehicle range, with solutions such as (but not limited to): 

• New materials for ‘physical media’ – think carbon absorbing paint or heat reflective paint used for out-of-home murals, or think repurposed materials for print and OOH advertising 

• Recycle – providers who can transform old internal combustion vehicles into new forms of mobility (like bikes) for limited edition brand campaign experiences 

Impact: Creating always-on green solutions that can help reduce carbon emissions within media at a campaign level, or creating large impactful branding opportunities that can help demonstrate their move into electric greener vehicles.

Opportunities for selected EIC beneficiaries  

• Privileged access to one of the world’s leading companies with the potential to initiate strategic partnerships along with increased visibility and possible access to new markets.   

• Networking opportunities with relevant business counterparts based on your company profile.   

• Personalised online training on pitching techniques and Škoda’s specifications before the event.   

• Services related to support before, during and after the event.   

Application    

EIC beneficiaries can apply by clicking on the following link.   

After logging in with their EU-Login, please fill in the respective form.    

In the application form, you should include the answer to the questions:    

• What is your business compliance with the matchmaking event?    

• What are your expected specific synergies/outcomes for your potential business with the corporation?    

Please acknowledge the information you provide on the application form is shared with Škoda to maximise potential benefits and ensure the effectiveness of meetings.  

Please read the privacy statement for more information.  

Based on its business interests, Škoda will select the final participants among the applicants. The Business Acceleration Services team will contact all selected applicants once the process finishes. However, this contact does not include feedback or recommendations for those not selected.    

Additional information  

About Škoda  

With more than 160 years of existence, Škoda is a direct successor to the mechanical engineering plants founded in 1859 by Count Wallenstein and a major European company in the field of transportation engineering. The Škoda Group has a production portfolio of modern vehicles that meet the latest European standards. The corporate’s main products include low-floor trams, trolleybuses, electric locomotives, suburban train units, electric motors and complete drives for transportation systems, plus deal with the development of digitisation and IT, and naturally also technology for vehicles and other industries. Read more about Škoda’s mission on their website. 

About the EIC Business Acceleration Services     

This opportunity is brought to you by the EIC Business Acceleration Services. To explore other opportunities to connect with the largest corporates in Europe, keep an eye on our events page.    

All participants are expected to fill out a brief satisfaction survey shortly after the event and a business impact survey after six months. Failure to do so may lead to exclusion from future Business Acceleration Services.    

Cancellation policy    

Cancellations will only be considered in duly documented cases of “force majeure”. Unjustified cancellation can lead to exclusion in future Business Acceleration Services events. For additional information, please refer to our Helpdesk (please choose “EIC Corporate Day with Škoda” as the subject).