P&G’s InQbet: Driving Innovation Through Start-Up Collaborations

How our business accelerator is partnering with start-ups to explore new technologies that will shape our industry’s future.

In today’s dynamic and competitive environment, a mindset of constructive disruption is essential, reflecting a willingness to change, adapt and create new trends and technologies that will define the future of P&G and our industry.

One way we embrace this is by partnering with start-up firms to pilot new technologies that deliver irresistible superiority, enhance sustainability and create value for our stakeholders. This initiative takes place at InQbet, P&G’s innovation accelerator in Brussels, Belgium — part of the Brussels Innovation Center and an expansive campus that fosters creativity, collaboration and exploration.

Introducing InQbet: P&G’s Innovation Accelerator

At InQbet, we collaborate with forward-thinking start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises to ensure a vibrant future of innovation. Our venture-client model allows firms to test their technologies through collaborative pilot projects, paving the way for longer-term partnerships if successful.

The InQbet campus provides state-of-the-art facilities, including a:

• Consumer Lounge: A space where teams observe how consumers use products in their homes, gaining insights into their needs and preferences.
• Prototyping Space: An area for teams to bring their ideas to life through rapid prototyping, allowing for testing and refinement to ensure concepts resonate with consumers.
• Pilot Production Facility: This facility enables teams to scale up production, test products in the market and gather valuable consumer feedback.

Take a 360-degree tour of the InQbet campus or watch the following video to see all of the spaces.

Work in Progress: 4 Future-Focused InQbet Projects

In the past year, InQbet’s collaborative approach has led to several impactful initiatives. Here are four of the most exciting projects underway:

1. i-SUHO: This project involves building an “Irresistibly Superior and Sustainable Home” on the campus. Equipped with advanced sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the home will collect real-time data about how consumers clean their clothes, wash dishes, clean surfaces and freshen their living spaces. Insights from i-SUHO will empower P&G scientists to create innovative solutions that meet consumer needs and enhance their experiences. This data will also support P&G’s 50L Home initiative, which aims to reduce water usage in cities facing scarcity.
   
   
2. ICO₂NIC: This project aims to transform industrial CO₂ waste into valuable chemicals through carbon capture and utilization and synthetic biology. Teams will make and test products created from CO2 to ensure they meet consumer needs and align with our quality standards. This initiative not only promotes sustainability in the chemical industry but also supports P&G’s strategy to minimize our environmental impact and help consumers to do the same.
   
   
3. RADAR: This multidisciplinary EU initiative focuses on developing renewable compounds as more sustainable alternatives to traditional chemicals used in detergents. This proactive approach enables P&G to make informed decisions that drive innovation forward and test the effectiveness of the SSbD framework in our product development.
   
   
4. SurfToGreen: This project focuses on creating innovative bio-based polymers and surfactants from waste materials in the forestry and agriculture sectors. These compounds will be used to encapsulate, protect and control the delivery of perfumes.

Want to stay updated on the progress of these projects and more? Follow InQbet on LinkedIn.

Interested in contacting the InQbet team? Email inqbetteam.im@pg.com.