An interview to Philippe Bacci, Manager INNOvation @ Nhood. Written by Anna Gnemmi, Marketing & Sales Specialist @ Sofia Locks

Technology has revolutionized the whole world during the last years, innovation has been accelerated to answer to new needs and this has impacted the whole real estate industry. In this market there is now an air of revolution, many aspects are changing, not only the business models, which are more flexible oriented now but also the mindset of companies and players, that are more focused on enhancing the digital revolution. 

In this context start-up and scale-up have a crucial role as thanks to their being agile they are able to help traditional companies embrace flexibility, and face challenges. To better understand the role of technology in this context we have interviewed Philippe Bacci, Manager INNOVATION at Nhood.
Nhood is a new mixed real estate operator created to help property asset owners animate, regenerate and transform sites into new living places for living better together. They take advantage of the experience of the Ceetrus and Nodi companies, recognized for years as key real estate and retail players, to meet every area of expertise to design and carry out projects down to the slightest details. Moreover, they operate in ten countries, with a global approach that takes account of local specificities.

In the interview for PropTech Perspective, Philippe Bacci, Manager INNOvation, has analyzed the role of technology, and start-ups and scale-ups to give us an overview of the market, to better interpret this period of strong evolution. 

Has digitalization accelerated the evolution of traditional organizations? 

Digitalization has had a fundamental role during the last years, as it has accelerated the necessary evolution of businesses, helping them keep up with the surrounding environment, and has helped people approach the new given working and living paradigms. Technologies are therefore becoming more and more the main character in our lives, they have allowed everybody to be connected, even in mobility, to give light to a new way of living.  

Now flexibility, mobility, and hybrid working and living models are the new standard in this fast-changing market. Spaces have become smart and modular, easily arrangeable according to the different needs, and the timing has changed, as now spare and focus time are more enlightened and balanced. The whole concept of time has evolved with the introduction of smart solutions, as now spaces and resources can be easily, remotely, and in real-time managed, in order to create a smart balance. 

For example, once people used to spend hours on transport to go to the office every day, while now they can look after workspaces next to them and cut costs and timing. The concept of flexible workplace has become so widespread that many coworking spaces can be found and managed through the smartphone, easily. 

Digitalization has therefore become essential to face all the changes occurring and keep up with the surrounding environment. 

Which is the role of start-up and scale-up businesses in a context in which traditional and digital cooperate? 

The role of start-up and scale-up is twofold, as it allows not only to accelerate the implementation of innovative solutions but also to better integrate them in the given context. Today, there are many different startups on the market, so choosing the right one is not always so easy. For this reason, we have decided to invest in an incubator, EuraTechnologies, the biggest one in France. There start-ups with interesting businesses can work and, once the business is running well, we help them get in touch with investors that help them in the process of acceleration. 

Next to the more modern side, the more “traditional” one has also a key role. The right combination of these two allows companies to reach a  right balance between a fresh and smart approach and a more stable one. The collaboration of these two systems allows to create a very productive iteration, where start-ups help traditional companies in being more innovative, while the traditional ones help startups in evolving and becoming more stable. This all brings a change in the paradigm, essential to continue developing the environment and digital aggregators. 

Which is the role of your company in the field of innovation with start-ups and scale-ups?

The main objective of Nhood is to identify the needs of the market in the field of innovation and services and work on these, in order to meet them. For this reason we really accentuate the need for cooperation between established companies and the new ones, the market is very competitive and dynamic and only the merging of competencies can help reach the goal. 

We as a service company have set our transformation criteria, which are based on three axes: the societal one, the environment one, and the etic one. These ones should be accomplished, as the economic ones, as are essential to increase the value of the companies and improve the market. Just by following these principles and embracing the dynamism of new and flexible businesses it is possible to draw the future of the real estate market. 

Thanks to Philippe Bacci for giving us an overview of the role of technology and innovative companies in the Real Estate market.

Technology, investments, and innovation are the main features to understand the Real Estate market today and shape the one of the future. For more information about PropTech Perspective, for contacts, insights or to take part in it, write to info@sofialocks.com