[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]With the launch of three new Orange Fab programmes in France, Japan for the South-East Asia region, and Poland, Orange is progressing its programme to the next level and reinforcing its ambition and role as a start-up accelerator on the international stage.

“Welcoming students, engineers, developers, designers and entrepreneurs to our premises forms an important component of our strategy to engender open innovation, to innovate more quickly, with greater agility, in tune with our company culture. Orange Fab is absolutely part of that process,” explains Stéphane Richard, Chairman and CEO of Orange.

Orange Fab enables start-up entrepreneurs to focus on their growth, to launch their services on a global scale, and to create products and services that enhance the current world of telecommunications. To achieve this, Orange matches its experience in the telecoms industry with that of mentors from local technological ecosystems, while also providing funding and logistical support. Start-ups benefit from a genuine international network immersed within the ecosystem, as well as access to decision-makers who will help them develop their own market. They will also spend two weeks in the heart of Silicon Valley, meeting American experts and investors at Orange Fab Silicon Valley.

“Telecom operators like Orange are accelerating the roll-out of a new phase of digital convergence, thanks to super high-speed broadband on 4G mobile networks and fibre. We believe that this delivery framework will help new start-ups to emerge, offering new solutions that will make the most of our networks,” explains Vivek Badrinath, Executive Vice-President for innovation, marketing and technologies.