From the 17th to 22st May 2010, the Shanghai World Expo visitors assisted to the Innovation week in the Rhône-Alpes pavillion. A round table was organised on the 21st May around the theme: “How to guide companies to more collaborative innovation?”. The participants (Thesame, Coating Xpert, Sita Chine et Bluestar Chine and Schneider Electric) had the opportunity to present their examples of support given to specific collaborative projects. Schneider Electric’s testimony was based on the example of the HOMES Programme.

Led by Schneider Electric, HOMES is a collaborative innovation programme designed to create solutions for achieving optimal energy performance in all buildings. The four-year (2008-2012) programme is supported by the French Agency for Innovation (OSEO) and has thirteen members which are European manufacturers and researchers with synergistic expertise in building management (CEA, CIAT, CSTB, Delta Dore, EDF, Idea, Philips Lighting,Radiall, Schneider Electric, Somfy, STMicroelectronics, Watteco and Wieland Electric). 

Together, they are designing solutions to optimize energy use in buildings. To do so, new solutions have to be imagined. Their conception disrupts the perimeter of traditional applications and sets back the limits of each partner’s know how.  To support this revolution, the HOMES programme covers a large scope from marketing to solution prototypes and the support in the evolution of the buildind profession. All theses competences are assembled to obtain the best out of energies.