Making the city accessible to everyone: the mission of Okeenea and Dynergie.
When it comes to mobility, most people talk about “public transportation and walking.”
However, pedestrians are not considered as individuals. When we make an effort to challenge this status quo, 75% of people get lost when looking at a map.
Current interfaces consist of a blue dot on a map. This dates back to the early days of GPS, when it represented a view of the Earth. This technical nod has become the industry standard. But is it really suitable for its intended use?
The circumstances of users with disabilities make it impossible for them to use these visual interfaces.
Okeenea has therefore chosen to champion an inclusive support system, designed by and for users.
From the point of departure to the destination, the Okeenea team aims to cover the entire mobility value chain by offering not only a pleasant user experience but also autonomy and freedom in choosing transportation options. The approach we’ve developed involves matching needs with capabilities to implement all of this within a smartphone.
Expand our impact to a broader geographic area.
Today, using either step-by-step guidance or simplified mapping, Okeenea is already helping visually impaired people navigate the Marseille metro and is currently being demonstrated in France and New York.
The teams quickly realized that this wasn’t enough to achieve their goal. A Smart City must leave no one behind, as the digital divide is already somewhat exclusive.
That is when the search for solutions tailored to the needs of all users begins, challenging the status quo without technological limitations.
Innovation plays a crucial role here.
The I-Nov Competition by BPI.
Okeenea needed to fund its ambitious plans, which mark a major shift for the company.
As part of their monitoring of regional, national, and European calls for proposals, our experts have identified the I-Nov competition, focused on mobility, as an opportunity for Okeenea.
After confirming that the project met the competition’s requirements, our experts were able to resolve a potential issue raised by Okeenea’s leadership. Having already won the competition, they were unsure whether they could reapply. We then worked on developing a new innovation project that differed from the one previously submitted
Our experts supported Okeenea in developing the project by identifying and addressing its limiting factors. Our expertise extends to defining the project’s commercialization strategy.
Our teams handled the preparation of the application package, applying best practices in its compilation while adhering to the funding agency’s requirements.
The results
A significant internal impact.
Working with a partner like Dynergie allowed the Okeenea teams to work in phases and track the project’s progress.
Beyond the project itself, this contributed to the company’s internal culture: management was able to present all these phases to employees and engage them through an OKR (Objectives and Key Results) system.
Precise expertise.
The key advantage of working with a partner lies in their understanding of what a competition entails. Dynergie’s processes encourage candidates to organize their thoughts and bring their project to life. The project methodology has been heavily influenced by the Dynergie teams.
By identifying the technical obstacles, the project team was able to define the problem and its solution.
1.7 million euros
That is the amount awarded to the winner of the 9th round of the I-Nov competition organized by BPI.
A certification
from the ID4CAR Competitiveness Cluster, named the best proposal, thanks to support from Dynergie.
An entrepreneurial mindset, combined with adaptability
According to Damien, Deputy CEO of Okeenea, Pauline and Marina, the experts leading the project, inspired Okeenea to look toward a vision and an ambition that went beyond the technical aspects of the project. They successfully adopted an entrepreneurial mindset while also maintaining a project-focused perspective. Finally, Pauline and Marina adapted perfectly to Okeenea’s pace and culture.
In conclusion.
Our collaboration with Dynergie has been a real success. The company’s supportive management style is clearly evident. Dynergie’s values, which are shared by both organizations, have been central to this success.
Damien Brosseau
This collaboration went exceptionally well thanks to one crucial factor: our shared DNA—a culture of innovation, high standards, and resilience.
