Automobility Incubator Inaugurated at Bissen Automobility Campus

The inauguration of the Automobility Incubator took place at the Automobility Campus in Bissen on Tuesday 3 December 2024.

On this occasion, Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, together with David Viaggi, Mayor of Bissen, and Diego De Biasio, CEO of Technoport, presented the newly built incubator to the press.

As reported by the Ministry of the Economy, Xavier Fraipont, Vice President Commercial Tire Business Unit at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, explained the upcoming developments of Goodyear's presence on the site.

The ministry recalled that the Automobility Campus was launched with the aim of becoming the nerve centre of the national ecosystem of automotive technology and smart mobility, as well as an attractive business centre in the heart of Europe for international companies. With an area of ​​14 hectares and a capacity of more than 4,000 people, the site has 8 hectares for companies wishing to establish innovation activities there. The campus is intended to be modern and a place for meetings, exchanges and cooperation between players in the sector. IEE was the first to set up there in 2019. More recently, on 23 September 2024, the first car park designed in an eco-circular way was inaugurated on the site.

Construction of the Automobility Incubator building, following the principles of circularity, began in December 2022 and was completed in November 2024. Intended to house an incubator dedicated to innovative companies (startups/scale-ups and spin-offs) as well as SMEs and international companies in the sector, it has approximately 2,100 m2 of offices, meeting and conference rooms, 400 m2 of workshops/laboratories for R&D activities and a canteen. It also has a multipurpose room for organising events, exhibitions and conferences. The first tenants are expected to join the incubator during the first half of 2025.

The Ministry of the Economy has entrusted the animation and management of the incubator to Technoport, facilitated through a framework agreement. In addition to supporting startups and innovative projects through support services, workspaces and technical infrastructure, Technoport offers access to professional networks and resources to facilitate the development and growth of young companies, particularly in the technological and industrial sectors. The ministry added that, troughout its 26 years of existence, Technoport has contributed to the launch and development of many Luxembourg startups, and it thus has recognised expertise both nationally and internationally. With this new presence in Bissen, its activities are now spread across three sites.

By collaborating with public research organisations such as the University of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), the Automobility Campus also intends to promote the education and training of students and doctoral or post-doctoral students so that their skills meet the requirements of industry. It is also expected to help attract talent to the Greater Region.

The ministry also noted that Luxinnovation, the national innovation agency, contributes to the development of the campus and the incubator by promoting exchanges between companies and organising dedicated events, in order to unite the auto-mobility community in Luxembourg and to foster the emergence of new cross-sector collaborations.

During the presentation of the project, Minister Delles said: "The launch of the incubator within the Automobility Campus marks a key step in the development of the campus. By offering a physical space and dedicated resources, it should attract innovative companies and concepts to Luxembourg, foster strategic partnerships and accelerate smart and sustainable mobility solutions in a dynamic and competitive environment. The project is perfectly in line with the government's strategy for the development of the automotive technology and smart mobility sector and it complements the national innovation ecosystem."

Mayor David Viaggi added: "With the inauguration of this incubator here in Bissen, we are opening a space where ideas can come to life and where projects find the resources to grow. This place is a reflection of the spirit of our municipality: a community that believes in innovation, sharing and collective work. Together, let's make Bissen a starting point for tomorrow's successes."

Diego De Biasio described the inauguration as "an important development step for Technoport that will allow us to strengthen our positioning in the development of an integrated, efficient and attractive innovation ecosystem internationally". He continued: "We are extremely confident that this site will become a dynamic hub in the field of mobility and we are looking forward to expanding our geographical presence throughout Luxembourg."

Moreover, Xavier Fraipont from Goodyear announced the future regrouping of part of the company's teams based in Luxembourg on the Luxembourg Automotive Campus site. Mr Fraipont also stressed the importance of innovation as a central element of Goodyear's strategy and highlighted the opportunities offered by interactions with other players such as start-ups and scale-ups within the framework of the incubator.

There was also a guided tour of the exhibitors present for the inauguration. 24 companies and research organisations, "key players" in mobility in the Greater Region, exhibited their know-how, products and solutions.

(Pictured: Automobility Incubator; Credit: Technoport)