Lions Innovation 2017 welcomes the first ever Discovery Zone

The 2017 edition of Lions Innovation introduces a new space dedicated to startups from around the world.

Since 2015 Lions Innovation has been showcasing ground-breaking applications of creativity in technology bringing together startups, major technology providers, brand marketers and innovation experts from around the world.

The 2017 edition sees the introduction of the first ever Lions Innovation Discovery Zone, brought together by Springwise and WPP BrandZ™, the world’s largest data platform for brand analytics. The Discovery Zone sits at the centre of Lions Innovation and is a dedicated space for nearly 100 global start-ups to network, gain advice and meet with brand owners, media owners and agency experts who attend the Festival each year.

This year the event has also introduced two new categories in the Creative Data and Innovation Lions Awards: ‘Technological Craft and Development’ which will award the technical prowess behind the ideas, and ‘Early Stage Technology’ which is dedicated to prototypes and beta stage ideas.

The 2017 content programme includes applied AI, machine learning, immersive tech and brand partnership amongst other themes. Some of the tech highlights include Ginger the Robot, which promotes social robotics to audiences globally and Olly, the ‘first robot with personality’ that adapts to each individual based on their personality.

During the Start-up Academy 15 selected participants can take part in marketing focused workshops led by senior marketers, as well as join one-to-one sessions with brand CEOs, innovation officers and other expert to gain insight on how to position their company and make it stand out. It’s a great opportunity for the startup community, which represent one of the most important routes to innovation in today’s disruption economy.