The company launches the second edition of the “Areas for Change Challenge” with the aim of enabling the international entrepreneurial community to develop real solutions to the sector’s challenges in terms of sustainability.
Barcelona, 15 de noviembre 2023.
Following the success of the first edition, Areas, international leader in food&beverage and travel retail with global headquarters in Barcelona, is launching the second edition of the ‘Areas for Change Challenge’, an initiative aimed at startups with the goal of finding concrete and feasible solutions that respond to the company’s own challenges for the coming years and those of the Food & Beverage and Travel Retail sector, on this occasion, in terms of sustainability.
The company has launched this new edition as part of its ESG strategy ‘Areas for Change’, which focuses on people, the planet and the future of travel. Specifically, the company wants to provide sustainable and innovative solutions to reduce its environmental footprint and, in this way, help in the fight against climate change and guide the company’s activity towards a more sustainable future.
With this program, and in collaboration with Eatable Adventures, one of the world’s leading foodtech accelerators, Areas is looking for startups that provide real solutions to the following sustainability challenges:
- Recycling & Upcycling: Solutions related to waste management generated in Areas’ restaurants (primarily organic waste such as coffee, oil, fruit, and packaging), its reappraise and recycling through Startups with pilot capacity, international scaling and/or impact on marketing and PR, for new lines of business and to improve efficiency.
- Economy of Water: Innovative solutions (digital, robotic, or others) designed to enhance water management, reduce water consumption, and lower operating costs through Startups with pilot capacity, international scaling and/or impact on marketing and PR, to optimize production and reputation.
- Return & Resume packaging: Digital solutions aimed at implementing and promoting a “use and return” packaging system to minimize the overall environmental impact of packaging, through Startups with pilot capacity, international scaling and/or impact on marketing and PR, to promote reusable packaging thus reducing costs.
In addition to the three main areas of interest, Areas is actively seeking and evaluating startups that provide solutions related to the circular economy, with a particular focus on fashion and textiles and its applications related to employee uniforms.
Interested startups can register here: https://areasforchange.com/challenge/#
Oscar Vela, Areas’ CEO worldwide, pointed out that “this challenge is being launched for the second consecutive year because we understand that it is important for companies like Areas to work to find solutions that transform the industry, and help promote a greater commitment and environmental awareness, offering a better experience for travelers. Vela highlighted the firm commitment to this project because “Areas’ purpose is to generate a positive impact on the planet, on people and on the future of travel, and to do so in an innovative, creative and disruptive way, together with the best startups and partners in the world.”
After an initial analysis, the selected startups will have the opportunity to work with Areas to develop a pilot program and support the company’s marketing strategy, among other benefits. In this sense, the selected startups will also be able to collaborate, together with the Areas team, to get the project off the ground and become a supplier of the company in the future.
Great success of participation in the first edition
Last March, Areas selected the 3 winning startups of the first edition of the ‘Areas for Change Challenge’ project, developed in collaboration with Eatable Adventures. On this occasion, the objective was to find feasible solutions that respond to the company’s own challenges for the coming years and those of the Food & Beverage and Travel Retail sector, focusing on 3 categories: sustainability, gastronomy and digitization.
From the more than 70 applications received from startups in the United States, Europe and Asia, Eatable Adventures selected a total of 37 finalist projects, from which 9 finalist startups were selected. From these 9, 3 winning projects were finally chosen for their positive impact on the sector. These three projects had the opportunity to work with Areas, access its international network and, ultimately, to scale their project in the market.
The three winning companies were Flax&Kale, in the gastronomy category; Alberts, in the digitalization category; and Cupffee, in the sustainability category.
About Areas
International leader in food&beverage and travel retail. With presence in 10 countries, the company manages more than 2,000 restaurants and stores in Europe and America
With a team of 20,000 people and locations in the main transport hubs in the world (airports, train stations, travel plazas in highways), as well as leisure parks, Areas provides service to more than 350 million customers every year.
Founded in 1968 in Barcelona, Areas is committed to offering high quality services to travelers. Since then, Areas has become a global benchmark operator in the industry, with a deep knowledge of the travelers’ needs and the widest range of restaurant concepts in the market.
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