ECS launches innovation competition

The ESC Group has launched a competition for air cargo innovators, with the eventual winners taking home funding worth up to €100,000.
The #NexGenLeaders competition is split into three different categories – students, start-ups and employees of the ESC Group.
Anyone fitting into one of those categories that has a project they feel could transform the industry is invited to pitch their idea to the GSA Group.
The first stage, running up until March 3, asks for teams to fill in an online form and submit a brief presentation outlining their project.
Stage two, running from March 14 to April 10, will see those that make it through the first stage work with mentors from the ECS Group to develop their idea further and then submit a more detailed presentation.
For stage three, entrants will spend 48 hours “locked” in an ECS Group office where they will prepare and finalise their pitch with help from the mentors.
They will then give a five minute pitch to a special jury to be in with a chance of being selected as one of the top 10 and win a ticket to the Air Cargo Europe trade show where the three winners will be announced on stage.
The student winners will win a holiday worth €5,000 per team, the staff category will win up to €50,000 to develop their project and the start-ups could win up to €100,000 of funding.
Adrien Thominet, chief executive of the ECS Group said: “We’re launching a project on a huge scale, and our aim is to change the game and turn industry habits on their head! And the industry has jumped at the chance: 100% of the people we’ve asked to be involved with the project have said they’ll take part.
"But above all, all of these people have lent us their support with such energy and such enthusiasm. There’s a real desire for innovation in this industry, and we’re making a contribution in our own way.”