The first acceleration workshop took place in Paris, on July 16th 2018, between 16h30 and 19h.

This event was part of the MobiGoIn-Action project’s acceleration phase, which aims to support the internationalisation of SMEs in the fields of smart mobility & smart city. In the second part of the project, a mission to the United States and Canada will take place in January 2019.

Throughout the workshop, 14 out of the 16 French SMEs registered in the project could meet, exchange and benefit from the expertise of speakers on the topic “Internationalisation and new market entry strategies”.

2 SMEs and a US market expert participated to the event through Visio conference.

 

     Agenda of the event

1.      Welcome and introductory remarks by Mov’eo
2.      Participants roundtable
3.      Expert presentation by the French Tech Hub (by Visio conference from the US)
4.      SME testimonial by Ubitransport
5.      Afterwork

1. Welcome and introductory remarks by Mov’eo

To kick-off the workshop Mov’eo introduced the event by recalling the MGI-A framework and the objectives of the meeting which were:

• To provide SMEs with the appropriate knowledge and tools to better approach north American partners during the international mission (it will take place in 2019).
• To identify the needs and wishes expressed by SMEs to draft a tailored USA & Canada mission.

This workshop was the first opportunity for the MGI-A participating SMEs to meet the other stakeholders involved, to know about their respective field of activities and therefore to consider potential cooperation inside or outside the project framework.

2. Participants roundtable

The roundtable represented an opportunity for each SME to briefly present their company, their familiarity with the North American smart mobility market and their expectations of the MGI-A project.

3. Expert presentation by the French Tech Hub

Xavier Wartelle, CEO French Tech Hub, intervened by Visio conference from the US to give a presentation based on his 23 years’ experience in Silicon Valley and his field of expertise (accelerating growth for French tech companies in the U.S.).

It is worth noting that the French American expert has already launched 6 start-ups, made more than 20 acquisitions and has over 600 CEO coaching sessions.

Among the topics discussed where the common mistakes made by start-ups & SMEs when setting up in the US, in-depth market dynamics analyses, strategic smart mobility recommendations, tips to deliver upon first contact with local partners and key cultural aspects which should not be given short shrift.

Questions were raised among SMEs regarding technical partnerships and optimal US locations to get off to a flying start.

Should you want further information on this topic please contact us.

4. SME testimonial by Ubitransport

Ubitransport is a French SME which contributes to sustainable, safe and comfortable mobility. Over the past few years, the company has developed smartphone and cloud-based CAD/AVL and fare collection systems for bus networks, with customised solutions for school transportation, small urban, rural and intercity transit, and demand-response transport.

Ubitransport has managed to capitalise on its domestic success (+6528% hyper growth over the past 4 years) to get a foothold on the Canadian market.

Nathalie Azoulay, National & International Business Development Director of Ubitransport, outlined her personal experience regarding « Internationalisation and new market entry strategies ».

Following a presentation of Ubitransport smart mobility expertise, clients and key figures, the experienced and successful Director presented the company internationalisation strategy.

Strong emphasis was placed on the importance of having a global, reflected and mastered deployment. To secure it, the expert pointed out 4 criteria (and developed them): having an expertise of the national market (prizes, domestic recognition, etc.), demonstrating the added value of the solutions, defining a concrete value proposal based on thorough market analyses and taking contact with the local ecosystem (through missions, partnerships, hiring local workforce, etc.).

Moreover, the Business Development Director also stressed the importance of acquiring visibility and credibility before contemplating establishing abroad.

Finally, Nathalie Azoulay underscored the pivotal role of human resources management in the international development of a SME.

After the presentation, participants questioned the Ubitransport representative about their motivations to get into the Canadian market first (instead of entering the US market).

Should you want further information on this topic please contact us.

5. Afterwork

To close out the workshop, participants were given the opportunity to exchange with their peers and the project officers over a drink, on an informal basis.

This document is part of the project MobiGoIn-Action  which has received funding from the European Union’s COSME Programme (2014-2020) – grant agreement No. 78339

sebastien.aubron [at] pole-moveo.org (Your Mov’eo contact: Sébastien Aubron)