On October 17, EY officially inaugurated the newest wavespace in their global network. The Belgian startup ecosystem gathered in the new EY Antwerp offices to raise a glass and discover the creative work space. The EY wavespace™ in Antwerp offers clients access to essential expertise and knowledge in the field of open innovation and co-creation with startups & scale-ups, next to specific technologies such as Cyber security, Data & Analytics and emerging technologies such as Robotic Process Automation and Blockchain.
This innovation hub is designed to unite innovation minded entrepreneurs and create an environment for creativity and disruptive thinking. The Antwerp wavespace is part of a global network of 23 wavespaces spread across the world that each have its focus and expertise, going from centers in Singapore, Paris, Tel Aviv, New York and San Francisco.
The Antwerp wavespace focuses on open innovation and collaboration with startups & scale-ups. Therefore, it’s the home to The Factory, where both internal and external innovation come together. Next to stimulating intrapreneurship within EY, The Factory also supports startups and scale-ups with EY expertise and connects them to EY’s vast international network (EYnovation™ program). Last but not least, The Factory developed an Innovation-as-a-Service offering that works with corporate companies on their innovation projects and uses open innovation techniques to unite startup technologies with big brands.
“We’re a firm believer in combining the best of both worlds: the agility and innovative character of startups, together with corporations who have the budget and network to scale innovation. That’s exactly what we’re doing with The Factory, the EY startup that’s leading the wavespace together with Advisory.”, explains Wouter Desmet – EY Chief Innovation Leader and Founder of The Factory.
The EY wavespace™ in Antwerp is specifically designed to follow the innovation process where we start with the ideation phase, followed by brainstorms, then the design of a prototype, validate the prototype and finally showcase it to potential clients. The rooms are equipped with the right technology and tools to maximize the results.
For more information regarding the Antwerp wavespace, please visit https://wavespace.ey.com/studios/antwerp/ or follow the The Factory Instagram account @thefactoryworks
