Moleskine+ ecosystem calls for IoT innovations in smart objects combining physical and digital worlds
Moleskine and Digital Magics have launched the Moleskine Open Innovation Program: an international call for start-ups to submit ideas to Moleskine+, the legendary notebook brand’s ecosystem for expanding its offering to include digital and physical products that assist digital nomads on the move.
With a strong belief in supporting contemporary talent, Moleskine is now scouting for emerging companies with whom it can share expertise and professional experience, and together bring inspired ideas to life that fit the Moleskine brand to a global market.
A maximum of four start-ups will be selected to take part in the six month incubation process where they will have the opportunity to draw on a network of professional business, marketing and product development experts, in order to bring their proposal to market around the world as part of Moleskine+. During the program, each of the selected start-ups will be able to discuss and define a strategic plan and contractual relationship with Moleskine.
The aim of the call for ideas is to identify and develop projects that fit within Moleskine’s range of interconnected smart objects and services – including smart notebooks and apps – designed to seamlessly combine physical and digital elements to boost creativity and productivity on the move. These smart tools work together to simplify the creative process, allowing users to capture inspiration wherever it strikes and effortlessly bounce ideas between page and screen.
All projects should be aimed at the brand’s audience of knowledge workers and creative professionals: a global community of people who are highly educated, inquisitive and constantly seeking new ways of working, learning and expressing themselves on the move.
Arrigo Berni
Moleskine realises that people do not make distinctions between the analog and digital world, switching from notebook to smartphone and from paper to tablet. These two worlds are not mutually exclusive – a project can take shape from a set of notes or a sketch, and can then grow on screen before being shared and shaped online. Moleskine envisions a future where people use physical and digital platforms interchangeably, with the Moleskine+ ecosystem being fundamental to the brand’s journey towards this future.
Start-ups submitting scalable business proposals to the call for ideas should also consider the overarching Moleskine Brand Territories of Culture, Imagination, Memory, Travel and Personal Identity, as well as its users’ key needs.
All proposals should be submitted online by 24th September 2017. Following the submission deadline, 12 start-ups will be shortlisted and invited to the Moleskine Innovation Day at the company’s head office in Milan on 26th October 2017. Here, the 12 finalists will get the chance to meet the teams from Moleskine and Digital Magics face-to-face, and to present their projects in person. A maximum of 4 start-ups will then be selected to enter into the program.
In order to find the best ideas from around the world, Digital Magics has also set up a network of partnerships with other business incubators and accelerators in Europe and the US who will help identify potential candidates.
Layla Pavone
“Contributing to the development and sharing of human knowledge and culture is at the core of our reason for being” stated Arrigo Berni, CEO at Moleskine. “We are very excited to partner with Digital Magics for the launch of the Moleskine Open Innovation Program. By inspiring and supporting innovation, this program fully embodies the Moleskine values of recognising talent, fostering exploration and acknowledging authentic passion.”
“The partnership with Moleskine fills us with pride. Moleskine is a brand of absolute excellence worldwide, a ‘lovemark’ which I personally adore”, said Layla Pavone, managing director of Digital Magics for Industry Innovation.
“The vision and the farsightedness of Moleskine’s management were the drivers of this partnership on Open Innovation, which has led us to organise and develop a concrete and targeted program, ending with a very relevant opportunity to work closely with the Moleskine team and have a chance to see their products and services integrated into Moleskine+”.
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