“Saint-Gobain & Start-ups” competition launched

"Arial">NOVA External Venturing, a Saint-Gobain unit dedicated to setting up strategic partnerships between the Group and start-ups, will select 10 companies among the competing start-ups, based on their innovation, the quality of their value proposition and potential synergies with Saint-Gobain. They will present their projects June 3, 2009 at the Saint-Gobain booth at the European Research & Innovation Exhibition (SERI) in Paris, Porte de Versailles, during a "speed-dating" session. The panel of judges will consist of senior Saint-Gobain executives and in-house experts in the housing, energy and environment fields. Applicants will have to convince the judges of the quality of their project and that a potential partnership with Saint-Gobain would be mutually beneficial.

The three winners will receive €15,000 in prize money each and will work with the External Venturing team to set up a partnership with Saint-Gobain. Partnerships may be technological (co-development, licensing agreement) or commercial (integration into a system, production or distribution agreement).

The deadline for entry submission is March 30, 2009.