Saint Gobain - Registration document 2016

3 STRATEGIC DRIVERS FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH 3. Sustainable differentiation through innovation and R&D

3.3.2

Leveraging internal and external

In 2016, Saint-Gobain Sekurit introduced its customers to its new intelligent windscreen concept, designed to be fitted in autonomous vehicles. The windscreen has integrated sensors and safety, as well as for adjusting to the needs of autonomous vehicles. This innovation was made possible as a for delivering improved comfort, compartment ergonomics technology. result of new competencies developed by the Group’s R&D teams in the fields of sensors, electronics and digital c) Open innovation Since many years, Saint-Gobain has implemented an External Venturing unit, named NOVA with the objective of create To accelerate again the process of identification of potential partnerships with the more innovative start-up, NOVA team has defined a new approach in focusing the evaluations on 4 strategic and transversal topics: Multi-Comfort and energy efficiency; ‹ Virtual and augmented reality; ‹ Digital: customer journey; ‹ Internet of things and sensors. ‹ To complete the transversal topics, the NOVA team has identified 2 Business Units developing niche markets for which a dedicated approach is proposed. In addition to that approach, the Group has created a partnership arrangement with the world of start-ups. In 3 major countries (France, the US and Brazil) an official partnership agreement was signed with start-up incubators already studied 3,200 start-up and signed more than 70 partnerships. partnership with start-ups. Since its creation, NOVA has providing the Group’s Activities with direct access to start-ups offering innovative services, either to direct clients, or more generally to relevant ecosystems (construction, This open innovation program also provides the opportunity to share the Group’s missions and issues with an audience of entrepreneurs and future professionals. Three “business challenges” were organized to further refine this approach (in Russia, Brazil and France), taking the form competitions involving start-ups and/or teams of students looking at a well-defined market issue. Partnerships with start-up incubators, and business challenges, are set to become more prevalent in the Group’s to conclude a dozen or so partnerships. main countries over the next few years. The long-term aim is automotive, civil engineering, health care, etc.).

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implementation. An internal structure organized around building science and comfort, introduced in 2014, accelerates the innovation that all the requisite skills are available for successful processes that bring together the R&D, production, marketing and sales teams throughout the project life cycle, to ensure levels of comfort by developing Innovative Materials, systems and services, making sure they are appropriate for the The Group seeks to provide end users with ever-increasing specific needs of each country or world region. can identify local needs for innovation and provide comprehensive responses, sourcing solutions and skills from The network-based structure of its R&D activity means that it its centers throughout the world. implementation. and sales teams throughout the project life cycle, to ensure that all the requisite skills are available for successful processes that bring together the R&D, production, marketing Its internal structure for R&D accelerates the innovation These skills are the key to success for the construction strategy. They are necessary to the implementation of the Multi-Comfort program. Developing Saint-Gobain’s capabilities in this area will strengthen the user comfort and experience-centered approach to designing efficient buildings, with consideration of the use value of the solutions solutions on user behavior. talent in digital technology, data science, design, or sociology and human sciences, to improve analysis of the impact of its To achieve this, the Group’s research centers are recruiting Saint-Gobain is also continuing its policy of remaining open to innovation through its network of universities. In 2015, Saint-Gobain renewed the “Engineer and Diversity” Chair with data analysis solutions, particularly open source. The main areas of application will be building science and sustainable of this “Big Data: tools and methods for sustainable construction” Chair, is to examine the potential of new big quality) and make energy savings. construction, with the goal of enhancing data to understand and improve comfort (visual, acoustic, thermal and air Habitat” Chair with the École des Ponts ParisTech. A new chair was created with the École des Mines in Nancy. The aim “Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable and Responsible the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (National Institute of Applied Sciences or INSA) in Lyon, as well as the Lastly, in 2016 the Group unveiled an initiative known as Saint-Gobain Intrapreneurs, which aims to encourage for a period of 18 months, to enhance agility and performance. intrapreneurship amongst employees. Employees with a project that is viable for the Group can focus on developing it implemented.

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SAINT-GOBAIN - REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2016

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