Telecom network operator Telenor on Friday launched a new innovation program for its employees.
Telenor’s innovation program for employees is part of its 2020 strategy.
Last year, Telenor said it aims to have 300 million users spending at least 10 minutes daily on its services in 2020.
“We need to deliver superior customer experiences and offer a broad range of new engaging products to customers,” said Telenor Group CEO Sigve Brekke.
Telenor said its employees with a great idea for a digital product can apply to the Ignite Incubator, Telenor’s new intrapreneur program. The technology company’s employees will get a chance to develop the idea into a testable prototype. The company will offer additional resources for successful pilots to develop into a product to impact the societies in which Telenor operates.
Telenor is inviting ideas from its 36,000 employees. Telenor will screen all submitted ideas and select teams to pitch in front of an international panel in mid-June. The international panel will judge on how the solution solves a customer problem, has a viable technical solution, and market potential. The panel will select up to 12 teams which will go through to a 3-month incubator bootcamp in either Norway or Asia to develop testable prototypes.
In December 2016, the international selection panel and Telenor senior management will decide which should be developed further, either internally in one of Telenor’s 13 companies or at Group-level, or potentially spun out as an external company.
“Ideas should focus on solving a validated customer problem as well as be locally relevant and/or have global potential,” said Gunnar Sellæg, head of Product & Innovation in Telenor Group.
