The Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, API integration and new fuel alternatives were just some of the types of ideas startups showcased at Crowley's first innovation expo with Plug and Play at the University of North Florida Wednesday.
The event highlighted companies Crowley has invested in as well as 20 startups that earlier in their development cycle.
"This is really important, not just for us, but for all of Jacksonville," said John Claybrooks, Crowley's chief marketing officer. "We hope this will continue to advance Jacksonville as a transportation and logistics hub, as well as a hub for innovation."
One of the fundamental ideas highlighted throughout the afternoon-long event at UNF was "fail fast, fail often" — with Crowley contextualizing the concept by discussing challenges facing the logistics and shipping industries in coming years and the need for out-of-box solutions that will require multiple iterations before being deployed.
Deepak Arora, Crowley's chief strategy officer, said Crowley aims to democratize the idea-to-impact cycle in business organization and empower leaders to execute opportunities with the customer at the center. He added that Crowley's investments into startups is not only about generating ideas but also about monetizing them and delivering captured value to customers.
The most recent addition to Crowley's portfolio is Repowr, a tech firm whose technology platform is designed to let companies share or lease their assets like trailers and chassises with other companies.
During Repowr's presentation, Chief Innovation Officer A. J. Cheek discussed the results of its preliminary trials with Crowley and how they were able to create revenue and efficiencies for both Crowley and the company leasing their equipment.
"From a growth standpoint, there are no better people than Crowley to partner with," Cheek told the Business Journal. "Crowley has been doing things well in our space for more than 100 years. This is a phenomenal opportunity for us."
Other companies like Zero Emission Industries, K4 Mobility, Loadsure, Newtrul and Carbon Ridge also discussed how their platforms and technology are already innovating the logistics and shipping industries and how, through Crowley and Plug and Play, they are moving to the next steps of real-world applications.
"This is event is a cornerstone of our efforts around innovation," Tom Crowley told the Business Journal. "We are certainly promoting innovation from within the company, but also recognize that we've got to look outside for new ideas and new approaches to how we solve problems."
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