BIC Joins Plug and Play Network to Accelerate Sustainable Innovation

BIC JOINS PLUG AND PLAY NETWORK TO ACCELERATE SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION

Clichy, France – 02-NOV-2020, To continue expanding its consumer-centric product offering and accelerate the pace of sustainable innovation, BIC, a world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, is partnering with Plug and Play, the largest global innovation platform for startups and corporations.

Joining the Plug and Play Network is another big step in BIC’s R&D journey. Plug and Play is the biggest innovation ecosystem in the world and will help the organization to connect faster with the right partners and the best startups. This will help BIC accelerate its R&D process to create new, meaningful solutions and sustainable products to meet rapidly changing consumer needs.

This partnership will also enable BIC to stay on top of any new trends and relevant changes in the consumer landscape.

“This partnership is the latest step in transforming BIC’s innovation journey,” said Thomas Brette, Group Insights and Innovation Officer at BIC. “We are opening our process to the world’s best experts to help us expand our capabilities while we continue to prioritize how we can bring even better and more sustainable products to our consumers in a fast-evolving market environment.”

This partnership follows the recent launch of the BIC–Iprova Innovation Lab. This new structure is bringing a machine learning-based and data-driven approach to BIC’s invention process with the goal to help the business anticipate and forecast new emerging consumer needs with unexpected solutions that will benefit consumers.

“At Plug and Play, we believe that real change can be achieved when sustainability is at the core of innovation. We are excited about working with a forward-thinking company like BIC that strives to increase their reach and impact. Together we can bring new products to their consumers and help them reach their goals,” said Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play.

ABOUT PLUG AND PLAY

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, it has built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, Its programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 30 locations globally, giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 30,000 startups and 400 official corporate partners, it has created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. Companies in its community have raised over $9 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club and PayPal. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/

ABOUT BIC

BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. Today, BIC® products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as Cello®, Conté®, Lucky Stationery®, Made For YOU®, Soleil®, Tipp-Ex®, Wite-Out® and more. In 2019, BIC Net Sales were 1,949.4 million euros. The Company is listed on "Euronext Paris," is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable development and education. It received an A- Leadership score from CDP. For more, visit www.bicworld.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.

CONTACTS

Sophie Palliez-Capian – V.P., Corporate Stakeholder Engagement

Investor Relations Contact:

Sophie Palliez-Capian + 33 6 87 89 33 51

sophie.palliez@bicworld.com

Michele Ventura +33 1 45 19 52 98

michele.ventura@bicworld.com

Press Contacts

Albane de La Tour d’Artaise + 33 7 85 88 19 48

Albane.DeLaTourDArtaise@bicworld.com

Isabelle de Segonzac : + 33 6 89 87 61 39

isegonzac@image7.fr