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Cities and mobilities #1 An encounter with Virginie Alonzi
Monday February 25th, 2019
Intrapreneurship is a way of developing an innovative project without leaving your company. How does it work? What do you need to know before you start? Nicolas Courtois and Nicolas Dubreil, intrapreneurs from NewValue, seasons 1 and 2, told us about their recent experience in the matter.
Nicolas Courtois (NC) – For 2 years, I had been wanting to realise a project to add height to an existing building. I would have liked to give it a go by myself, but when you are a construction site manager, it is hard to find the free time to make a project like that a reality. The NewValue scheme was an ideal setting in which to test my idea. Moreover, since most of my career had been in construction, it was an opportunity to see how I fared as a salesman!
Nicolas Dubreil (ND) – I applied to the programme in order to develop a concept that had been on my mind for years but that did not really fit with our internal development processes: it was too different from industry practices and at the same time it was too similar to our “core business” to count as R&D. NewValue lent a new dimension to this project, which up to then I had financed with my own money and worked on in my free time.
ND – I met a lot of people this year, which allowed me to accelerate my project and let it evolve. I got some effective advice on how to move forward and ask myself the right questions. 2019 is going to be devoted to finalising and launching the first technical modules, in a community of 120 structural engineers. This testing-ground will allow me to improve my project even further, as well as define my future strategy – which at this point could equally be a simple internal service offer or an independent ‘spin-off’ company.
ND – You’ve got to have the courage of your convictions, as new ideas are often met with a lot of scepticism, and a lot of people need to see something that already “works” before getting on board.
NC – Following the first oral exam and the satisfaction of seeing my project selected in January, I have just attended my first day’s coaching, a real insight into how to incubate a project. Experts will be accompanying us for 5 months on various aspects of defining and positioning our projects. Over and above the personal development that this will bring us, it is a way of opening up to new methods of working/solving problems.
NC – In the city centre of large metropolises, the property market is very tense: it is very difficult for private individuals to find housing. This situation forces them to look in the suburbs, sometimes very far from the city centre. In the same areas, constructing new buildings is laborious for lessors: there is little land available and purchasing the neighbouring buildings takes a long time. To tackle these 2 issues, you can build directly onto the roofs of existing buildings and create up to 30% additional surface area. That’s the idea behind it, “a roof higher”, a structure devoted to adding height to buildings. The project has 3 defined objectives:
The holidays are fast approaching, and winter is here. To mark the occasion, Bouygues Construction has a surprise in store. We’ve got something lovely to show you: postcards of our most beautiful buildings, old and new. Chalets, airports, hotels... all in the snow! We would like to take this opportunity to offer you our best wishes for the holiday season and the new year !
Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France received the Operational Excellence Award for large companies at the Cérémonie des Prix Nationaux de la Qualité et de l’Excellence Opérationnelle (national awards ceremony for quality and operational excellence) on 29 January 2018. This award recognises the company's commitment to its employees and customer-centred performance.
As Bouygues Construction's corporate foundation, Terre Plurielle provides financial support to projects sponsored by employees who are actively involved in the areas of education, employment and healthcare Since it was first established in 2008, in excess of 200 projects have received support, sponsored by almost 250 employees.
For the past few months, our site workers haven’t been the only ones working on the L2 project. Graffiti artists have been expressing their creativity on freshly dried concrete, painting large frescoes on the structures of the future bypass. Art is being created behind the walls for the benefit of all in Marseille. Currently under […]
Bouygues Construction and Welink responded to the Elles Bougent (Girls on the Move) initiative by taking part in the second Girls on the Move Week. From Hong Kong to Cuba, 80 young women were welcomed by 60 women employees to seven of our sites throughout the world. See the images here.
Creating new spaces and experimental urban projects – whether they’re cultural, social or economic – revitalising spaces before their conversion for future use, making use of empty buildings, creating a dynamic in which members of the community can get involved, encouraging them to take part and to contribute to the creation of an area’s identity etc. A look at temporary urbanism-–building cities differently so that they can adapt to fit the changing needs of their inhabitants.
On 6 and 7 December, Bouygues Construction is organising the second edition of its mobility-focused Global Mobility forum. Interview with Jean-Manuel Soussan, Human ResourcesDirector, on mobility policy and the opportunities of this meeting for the company.
Although construction remains a predominantly male environment, the mind-set is changing and endeavours to promote gender equality are increasing.
On 6 December, this film created by Bouygues Bâtiment International was given an award as part of the “Trophées de la Diversité®” awards, which looks to reward companies incorporating diversity into their growth, their HR issues and their managerial activities.
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