TIM WCAP's mission is to find and integrate, on TIM's digital platforms, innovative solutions from the world of start-ups and SMEs, in line with TIM's business needs, in order to innovate the company's product portfolio and solutions. In fulfilling its mission, TIM WCAP relies on TIM's partnerships with big international ICT companies. It collaborates with the top players in innovation, like universities, businesses, organisations, incubators and accelerators.
More precisely, TIM WCAP's mission breaks down into the following lines of action:
- Oversee the most important open innovation ecosystems in Italy and the wider world, to seize on solutions from start-ups and SMEs that introduce innovative and sustainable business models.
- Do continuous scouting for start-ups and SMEs in line with TIM's strategic objectives. The start-ups and SMEs identified as being of potential interest are immediately assessed (checking the availability of a minimum viable product, verifying the solution technically, validating the business model, evaluating sustainability, and analysing the team, target market, competitors); then they are added to a shortlist of start-ups and SMEs to be proposed to Business Units for trials (proof of concept) and later go-to-market.
- Integrate chosen innovative solutions with TIM's unique assets, both technological (like 5G and digital platforms) and commercial (like national distribution and Sales channels).
- Support the go-to-market of innovative solutions through business matching meetings with Business Units and clients, trials and support with the go-to-market launch. In particular, TIM WCAP will allow rapid adoption of solutions thanks to tools for quickly registering innovative start-ups and PMIs, and facilitating and fast-tracking payments.
- Making the most of the network of start-ups and SMEs in the TIM WCAP ecosystem, promoting business initiatives with the TIM Group and other partners. Particular attention will be paid to start-ups and SMEs benefiting from a TIM WCAP grant and/or proof of concept, and above all those participating in TIM Ventures.
The tools TIM WCAP will use to carry out its mission are:
- Hackathon: initiative varying in length from one to three days, in which developers, graphic designers, marketing and business experts are invited to come up with innovative solutions that respond to specific challenges in line with the strategic trends in the Industrial Plan and can be integrated with TIM's technological assets.
- Bootcamp: initiative lasting one or two days, held mainly at TIM Open Labs, following the principles of “Design Thinking” and run in collaboration with the business lines. The results of the Bootcamps will define certain business-related "TIM Challenges", which will set out in detail TIM's needs, in line with the strategic trends in its Industrial Plan. Start-ups and SMEs will then be able to respond to the TIM Challenges with their own solutions.
- Continuous scouting and TIM Challenges: TIM WCAP's "Call for Start-ups" and "Call for Partners" will evolve into a new kind of scouting, done throughout the year, each in three-month "sprints", using the TIM Challenges, calls done with partners, or a continuous selection process. The start-ups chosen for POCs or trials with TIM will be able to take part in collaborative processes (quick registration as a TIM supplier, reduced payment times, etc.) and the following company assets: co-working spaces at TIM Open Labs, which will enable co-design and matching with TIM's business lines and assets (e.g. workshop devices, digital platforms, sales channels)
- Innovation Days: these are corporate entrepreneurship courses that involve all TIM staff and are done in collaboration with HR. The aim of the courses is to bring out the innovative potential of the company's people. The courses are competitive and assessed by a jury of TIM mentors, with prizes at the end to award the best projects in each category, which might eventually be used by TIM.
- Participation in and organisation of roadshows, workshops and big events on open innovation in Italy and abroad, with carefully chosen partners, to promote TIM's open innovation initiatives, like Hackathon and TIM Challenges, and communicate their results with success stories like the integration of start-ups and SMEs with TIM's Business division.
