Next – Voices from the Future | From Makers, four key words to understand the future of innovation

Innovation is born from ideas, ideas that grow when they find the right ground to develop. With this spirit, the Makers program, promoted by the Open Innovation team, has given voice to the proactivity and ingenuity of colleagues across the Group, transforming individual contributions into a collective engine of innovation and transformation. Since its launch last April, the Makers program has engaged over 1,000 participants, gathering more than 170 ideas, ranging from improvement suggestions to radical and incremental innovations, as well as strategic projects for the Group's future. The process unfolded through phases of collection, selection, and development culminating in the Makers’ Day held on January 24th, where eight high-potential ideas were presented and selected for further growth and co-creation.

The ideas collected introduced new terminologies that describe business models, financial instruments, and regulatory tools shaping the future. Among the proposed ideas, four key concepts help us understand how the technological and economic landscape will be redefined: Corporate Venture Builder, Boost Plafond, Crypto, and AI Normetech. Let's explore each of these concepts in terms of their innovation and the impact they could have in the future. 

Corporate Venture Builder: innovation driven by the enterprise
In the startup world, Venture Building is emerging as a strategic approach to innovation. Corporate Venture Builders (CVBs) are internal company structures that do not merely invest in existing startups but create them from scratch. This model enables large corporations to develop new business ventures in a more targeted way, leveraging internal assets, know-how, and resources. The goal? To accelerate the growth of innovative solutions while reducing the risks associated with traditional venture capital investments. This model has been growing in recent years, as demonstrated by a study from Politecnico di Milano, which shows that CVBs and Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) are being adopted more frequently than traditional solutions like Mergers & Acquisitions.

 
Boost Plafond: financing growth with greater flexibility
The term Boost Plafond refers to innovative financial instruments that allow companies to access flexible and scalable credit lines. With the increasing digitization of financial services, lending models are evolving, offering businesses the opportunity to expand their investment capacity without rigid constraints. This solution can also be extended to retail customers, particularly those who have demonstrated sound financial management and deserve long-term rewards. This model is particularly useful for startups and SMEs in the scale-up phase, which need capital to expand rapidly.

Crypto: between decentralization and regulation
Cryptocurrencies (crypto) are no longer a niche phenomenon. After years of speculation and volatility, the sector is entering a phase of maturity, with financial institutions and regulators shaping its future. The debate on regulation is intense: on one hand, to ensure transparency and security; on the other, to preserve decentralization, one of blockchain’s founding principles. The evolution of crypto will influence not only financial markets but also how we perceive value and digital transactions. In the near future, payments could be made not only in fiat currency but also by leveraging the potential of major cryptocurrencies and market-approved stablecoins. In a previous Next episode, we have discussed industry developments at the European level, including new regulations like MiCa and the growing adoption of digital assets through ETFs that use cryptocurrencies as underlying assets.

AI and Normetech: artificial intelligence supporting internal organization
With the advancement of artificial intelligence, many new tools are being made available to company employees to navigate complex regulatory frameworks. This is where Normetech comes in - a model that combines machine learning and regulatory compliance to ensure all employees have simpler, fairer, and more uniform access to corporate regulations. The challenge is to use AI not just as a daily support tool but also as a key element in improving intercompany relationships and collaboration.

When the future passes through language
Understanding innovation means understanding the language that describes it. Terms like Corporate Venture Builder, Boost Plafond, Crypto, and AI Normetech are not just buzzwords but concepts that outline new business strategies, advanced financial tools, and regulations that will shape the future. Moreover, with Makers, we have demonstrated that collaboration between people, technology, and strategic vision can generate tangible and lasting impacts. Keeping up with these transformations and their effects is not just a matter of curiosity, it is essential for anyone who wants to navigate change with awareness.