Leasys, a Stellantis brand and a subsidiary of FCA Bank, and I3P, the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino, introduce the new edition of “Digital Factory“, an exploratory call for young Italian and international start-ups. The goal is to identify new solutions that can make a decisive contribution to the technological and digital transformation of the company, leader in Italy in long-term rentals, and of Leasys Rent, which specializes in short- and medium-term rentals.

The 2022 edition of the initiative is part of Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance’s Start&Pulse program, with its emphasis on Open Innovation.  Specifically, the call will focus on research into technological processes intended to improve customer experience, on the one hand, and internal processes and corporate know-how, on the other.

Participation in the call is free of charge and proposals can be submitted from 11 January until February 25, 2022 on the digitalfactory.leasys.com website. The proposed solutions will be evaluated by a committee of experts, which will select the finalists for the ensuing closing event by March. The winning team will have the resources to develop a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) with which to field test the feasibility of the use case presented, thus coming into direct contact with the business operations of Leasys and Leasys Rent.

The call is launched in a context where technological and regulatory changes have led to new consumer requirements and new challenges for operators, opening up important avenues for the growth and development of services. In fact, digitalizing means adapting all business processes to the digital age, where speed and operational efficiency play crucial roles.

“We have great confidence and expectations in this initiative. We are certain that the Digital Factory will make a decisive contribution to the search for new technological solutions designed to bolster the innovation process that we have been pursuing for some time now,” explained Rolando D’Arco, CEO of Leasys. “The impetus towards digitalization in our sector has accelerated strongly, also as a consequence of the pandemic. This gives added significance to the role and innovative drive of start-ups and SMEs.”

“We have collaborated enthusiastically in the creation of the new edition of the Leasys Digital Factory project, which builds on a successful experience,” said Giuseppe Scellato, President of I3P. “In addition to being a virtuous example of Open Innovation, the initiative is designed to create synergies between young start-ups and an important company like Leasys, to foster the development of the technologies, products, and services of the future.”

The 2022 edition of Digital Factory comes in the wake of the success of last year’s call, focused on the world of FCA Bank, which resulted in a partnership agreement with Stip, an innovative start-up. Founded in Rome and now based in Silicon Valley, this leading-edge company is using its Artificial Intelligence to help the Bank to maximize the efficiency of its customer service, reducing ticket handling and customer response times.