Culture Matters: SOLUTYS Technologies May Be a Small Technology Company, but It’s Stepping Up in a Monumental Way to Preserve History. Find Out Why.
Just as Zebra works together with partners to serve our customer community, we also work to serve the communities in which we live—locally and around the globe. Fortunately, partners like France-based SOLUTYS Group do the same.
In 2013, SOLUTYS Group launched a philanthropic arm, the SOLUTYS Foundation to promote the acquisition and transmission of knowledge. The projects pursued by the Foundation cover very different but complementary fields of action. For example, after having notably supported a scientific and environmental study program for several years, the foundation is now working alongside the Centre des Monuments Nationaux to promote access to cultural and historical heritage sites in France.
Current projects include the restoration of 13th century Aigues-Mortes Towers and Ramparts, a symbol of Mediterranean history. The Foundation supported creation of a new visitor center and a new museum space that places the monument in its historical, geographical, economic and social context—and that improves accessibility. Another recent funding initiative is the megalithic alignments of Carnac, one of the most important centers of European prehistory. The Foundation supported renovation and expansion of the Maison des Mégalithes, the gateway to the site. The new space offers innovative cultural interpretation and maximizes accessibility for audiences with a wide range of abilities.
Through these projects, SOLUTYS Group is demonstrating that sponsorship is not only reserved for large organizations—small and medium-sized enterprises with a desire to contribute can also make a big impact. It’s also showing us all how we can be better corporate stewards of the past.
I recently connected with Eric Peters, president of the SOLUTYS Foundation, to learn more about what he and his team have discovered during their journey to bring the past into the future:
Gilles: Like Zebra, I know SOLUTYS Group takes its corporate social responsibility (CSR) seriously. But why did you feel the creation of the separate foundation was necessary? Why not just lead philanthropic initiatives as part of your corporate programming?
Eric: In order to give the Foundation real legitimacy, we wanted to separate it from the business universe of SOLUTYS Group, especially given the SOLUTYS Foundation has been under the Fondation de France since 2013.
Gilles: Why did you name the Foundation after the company?
Eric: It is together that the employees of SOLUTYS Group have, through the quality of their work, enabled the company to engage in such philanthropic efforts. This solidarity approach is something of which they can be proud. So, I wanted that association to be very clear when we went out into the community.
Gilles: I know early on the Foundation was involved with scientific and environmental studies, which might not surprise many people given that most technology companies focus philanthropic efforts on STEM initiatives in some capacity. However, you’ve since pivoted to the preservation of history and the promotion of access to heritage sites. Why?
Eric: You are quite right. In the beginning, the SOLUTYS Foundation supported scientific and environmental projects, but in 2017 Alicia Langreau, our communication and marketing manager, introduced me to the Centre des Monuments Nationaux and the different actions that this foundation supports.
One of them is to make these monuments accessible to the greatest number of people, particularly among priority groups, which includes those living far away from institutional culture or with disabilities. The organization also contributes to artistic and cultural education policy, in particular by receiving many school audiences. I found that its mission and priorities corresponded to the simple and strong values of SOLUTYS: respect, solidarity, and commitment.
Gilles: Was it difficult to start the Foundation?
Eric: From the very beginning of the Foundation's creation, I involved all SOLUTYS Group's collaborators in order to create an emulation around the project and to allow everyone to take ownership of it. For example, the SOLUTYS Foundation supports an association founded by one of the SOLUTYS Group employees. The mission of this association, “Cycles et Solidarité”, is to promote greater equality of access to education and schooling for children and students in Southeast Asia. Each year the association focuses its actions on a region of a country in this area of Southeast Asia.
Outside the SOLUTYS Foundation, I have a personal project, also related to the conservation of cultural heritage, in the restoration of the Château de Briord. I want help to ensure that its beauty and history are not diminished and that it will endure from generation to generation.
Gilles: What steps have you taken to ensure consistent community outreach efforts during recent times of crisis?
Eric: Internally, we communicate regularly on the actions we are carrying out, during general assemblies, and on our intranet. When we have an inaugural event with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, we invite our nearby colleagues to the site. We also regularly invite our customers, partners, or anyone who is part of the SOLUTYS ecosystem to participate in our community projects.
Gilles: How do you measure success?
Eric: Our success is measured by the testimonies we receive from our collaborators, partners and clients. When people tell us about a project or an action that we have carried out through the SOLUTYS Foundation, especially years later, it brings real satisfaction. Since we have been working with Centre des Monuments Nationaux, we have had the feeling that we are creating ambassadors for our heritage, and I consider this to be a success and a demonstration of the usefulness of the Foundation. In addition, since we have been working with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, the number of visitors to the sites has increased, more on-site conferences have been organised, and school groups have come in greater numbers, as have more people with disabilities.
Gilles: Have you found it more challenging to make an impact on such a large scale as a smaller company?
Eric: We’ve had partners such as the Centre des Monuments Nationaux involved with our efforts from the outset in different ways. The Centre specifically chose to make the SOLUTYS Foundation one of its sponsors. Its team appreciates the fact that we are committed to their mission for the long term. From a human resources point of view, we do not have a team dedicated to the Foundation. Some people may be surprised to hear that. But it’s true. The people who take care of the SOLUTYS Foundation, including Alicia, have other roles within SOLUTYS Group, so their work with the Foundation is extracurricular in a way. But that’s what makes the Foundation so special. The people volunteering their time to support our projects are doing so because they really care about the Foundation’s mission and the mission of the community organizations we’re supporting. They want to make the world a better place and facilitate that transfer of knowledge between the past and the future and across cultures.
Just look at the positive impact they’re having:
Gilles: Well, Zebra is proud to work with partners like SOLUTYS Group and gratified that our joint success has helped to make the Foundation’s efforts possible. Thank you for going to such lengths to make the world a better place – and remind us all where we came from.
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Want to read more stories about how Zebra partners are giving back to their communities? Check these out:
Editor’s Note:
SOLUTYS Group is Zebra Premier Solution and Industrial Automation Partner specializing in automatic identification, traceability and professional mobility solutions using barcodes and RFID. You can learn more about the company here and the SOLUTYS Foundation here.
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Gilles Gabillet
Gilles Gabillet is currently the Channel Communication manager for EMEA where he is responsible of all the communication going to Zebra partners in eight different languages. Gilles has more than 15 years of experience in communication and marketing. He previously served as EMEA Marketing Director for Reebok in Rotterdam and the National Basketball Association in Paris where he managed the marketing partnership.
