METRO GROUP has signed an agreement with L'Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) to host a collaboration chair on the topic of digital innovation in HoReCa. Hotels, restaurants and caterers are a core customer group of METRO Cash & Carry, the company's wholesale division. In the recent past, METRO has strongly intensified its efforts to foster digital innovation in the hospitality sector. This includes the 'Techstars METRO Accelerator', that supports Start-Ups with a focus on the hospitality industry, and the new division 'HoReCa.Digital' that is focused on digital opportunities in the hospitality sector.

The METRO Chair of Innovation at L'Ecole hôtelière is directly assigned to this new division. Both partners have agreed on a number of tasks in order to further explore the digitalisation of the HoReCa sector in key markets as France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Japan. The focus is on the one hand on understanding the barriers and opportunities in the digitalisation of the industry. On the other hand it aims at studying the effects of digitalisation of operations and customer service through digital services, products and channels. With regard to this the Chair has a dual mission: developing research and expanding education as well as contributing to sustainable development through innovation in the industry. The research is focused on the HoReCa market and its structure, customer needs, trends and strategic implications. Numerous Student Business Projects (SBP) will support the research with creative and innovative solutions.

The first results of the research will be presented at the end of April 2016. Further information about L'Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne can be found on www.ehl.edu

Metro AG issued this content on 09 February 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 09 February 2016 16:25:17 UTC

Original Document: http://www.metrogroup.de/en/company/inside-metro/2016/02/09/lecole-hoteliere-de-lausanne-and-metro-group-establish-the-metro-chair-of-innovation