METRO GROUP, a German global diversified retail and wholesale/cash and carry group, has signed an agreement with L’Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne to host a collaboration chair on the topic of digital innovation in HoReCa.
Hotels, restaurants and caterers are a core customer group of METRO Cash & Carry, the company’s wholesale division. In the recent past, METRO has strongly intensified its efforts to foster digital innovation in the hospitality sector. This includes the “Techstars METRO Accelerator”, the first technology accelerator with a specific focus on the hospitality industry and the newly created division “HoReCa.Digital” that is focused on the digital opportunities in the hospitality sector.
The METRO Chair of Innovation at L’Ecole hôtelière is directly assigned to this HoReCa.Digital division. Both partners have agreed on a number of tasks in order to further explore the digitalisation of the HoReCa sector in key markets worldwide as France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Japan. The focus is on the one hand on understanding the barriers and opportunities in the digitalisation of the industry and on the other hand on studying the effects of digitalisation of operations and customer service through digital services, products and channels. With regard to this, the Chair has a dual mission: developing research and expanding education as well as contributing to sustainable development through innovation in the industry. The research is focused on the HoReCa market and its structure, customer needs and trends and strategic implications. Numerous Student Business Projects (SBP) will support the research with creative and innovative solutions.
The Chair holder is Dr Christine Demen Meier Head of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Department, with Senior lecturer Ian Millar responsible for the digital aspects as well as the relationship between both parties.
The first results of the research will be presented at the end of April 2016.
