Rueil-Malmaison (France), February 1, 2016 - KIC InnoEnergy, the innovation engine for Europe's energy industry, is delighted to welcome Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, as a shareholder and formal partner.

Schneider Electric has been an associate partner of KIC InnoEnergy since it was launched in 2010. This change of partnership status marks the first time since 2011 that an industrial player has 'upgraded' its involvement and will see Schneider Electric taking an increased commitment in the activities and the governance of the company. This new partnership status will also serve to reinforce Schneider Electric's relationship with KIC InnoEnergy's network of partnerships across Europe.

Sylvain Paineau, Schneider Electric's Innovation & Partnerships Europe Director, said: 'This is an important step for Schneider Electric and our ongoing relationship with KIC InnoEnergy. During our 5 years of being an associate partner, we have become more and more involved in the KIC InnoEnergy's key areas of activity - education, business creation and innovation. This period has really crystallised our interest in becoming a full partner and deepening our participation in the organisation.

'KIC InnoEnergy is at the centre of a rich ecosystem of businesses and educational institutions. This makes for fertile ground for global companies like ours seeking what we like to call open innovation - truly free thinking and creative ideas, in our market sector.
'This new status aligns perfectly with Schneider Electric's strategy to build energy management and automation technologies that ensure Life Is On everywhere, for everyone and at every moment. By increasing our involvement in KIC InnoEnergy, we invest in innovation to accelerate growth.'

Richard Biagioni, CEO of KIC InnoEnergy, France said: 'We're delighted that Schneider Electric has raised its involvement and interest in KIC InnoEnergy. Our goal has always been to be a strategic partner for industry in terms of innovation. Our partnership with Schneider Electric will see an ever closer working relationship and deeper alignment of each other's strategies.

'The news also underlines our commitment to evolve as an organisation and allow our stakeholders to evolve with us. We are keen to see our partners increase their involvement and participation - it helps us develop as an enterprise and this openness to participation is part of the reason KIC InnoEnergy's share value has increased 17 fold over five years.'

About KIC InnoEnergy (www.kic-innoenergy.com)
KIC InnoEnergy is the innovation engine for sustainable energy across Europe. The challenge is big but our goal is simple: to achieve a sustainable energy future for Europe. Innovation is the answer. New ideas, products and solutions that make a real difference, new businesses and new people to deliver them to market. At KIC InnoEnergy we support and invest in innovation at every stage of the journey - from classroom to customers. With our network of partners we build connections across Europe, bringing together inventors and industry, entrepreneurs and markets, graduates and employers, researchers and businesses. We work in three essential areas of the innovation mix:

  • Education to help create an informed and ambitious workforce that understands what sustainability demands and industry needs - for the future of the industry.
  • Innovation Projects to bring together ideas, inventors and industry in collaboration to enable commercially viable products and services that deliver real results.
  • Business Creation Services to help entrepreneurs and start-ups who are creating sustainable businesses to grow rapidly to contribute to the global energy ecosystem.
    Together, our work creates and connects the building blocks for the sustainable energy industry that Europe needs.

About Schneider Electric
 Schneider Electric is the global specialist in energy management and automation. With revenues of €25 billion in FY2014, our 170,000 employees serve customers in over 100 countries, helping them to manage their energy and process in ways that are safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable. From the simplest of switches to complex operational systems, our technology, software and services improve the way our customers manage and automate their operations. Our connected technologies reshape industries, transform cities and enrich lives. At Schneider Electric, we call this Life Is On.
www.schneider-electric.com

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Schneider Electric SE issued this content on 01 February 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 01 February 2016 08:16:30 UTC

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