NTT Ltd. partners with Red Bull Basement to empower students to change the world

NTT Ltd., a global technology services provider, is partnering with Red Bull Basement to enable the next generation of entrepreneurs to innovate with purpose.  

As the Official Technology Partner of Red Bull Basement’s third year, NTT Ltd.’s Cloud Communications Division will facilitate live virtual workshops to empower teams of university students from host countries to innovate for good. NTT Ltd. will mentor the students throughout the competition and judge the entries at the final Global Workshop, where a winning team will be announced.    

Launched in 2015 in São Paulo, Brazil, Red Bull Basement supports social innovators using technology to tackle social and environmental issues at universities. In a year where connecting through technology has been more important than ever, Red Bull Basement decided to virtualize the program with a partner who has a proven track record of supporting companies through digital transformations and providing a one-of-a-kind online experience. 

The program encourages the next generation of diverse thinking and innovation, and is centered around finding solutions to the world’s problems using technology to create positive change. Red Bull Basement’s purpose-led brand and passion for innovation caught NTT’s attention when they realized the potential for scale and inclusion that NTT’s virtual platform offers over a physical conference center. By virtualizing the event and breaking down location-specific and physical space barriers to entry, both partners hope to see even more diversity in thinking. 

Marisa Jansen van Vuuren, Senior Vice President; Brand, NTT Ltd. commented: “We have a long-standing history of investing in the community and this partnership demonstrates how important the next generation is for creating a sustainable business environment. Doing the right thing for the world makes businesses stronger. Organizations are increasingly compelled to do business with purpose-driven companies that use innovation to differentiate themselves.”  

Together with Red Bull Basement, NTT is using the power of technology and people to make a real difference: 

• Application phase: NTT will host virtual launchpad events using its Intelligent Workplace technology solutions, as teams innovate to address a variety of issues inspired by the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). 
• Voting and selection phase: In addition to the shortlisted teams, NTT will select a wildcard team who demonstrates their commitment to innovative thinking and will take them to the Global Workshop. 
• Development phase: As part of NTT’s investment, NTT’s Venture Capital arm and 25 experts from across its business will host mentoring sessions and co-creation workshops, further providing the teams with the tools and technology they need to succeed.  
• Global Workshop: In the final phase of the competition, NTT experts will serve as panelists who listen to the final pitches and select the winning team.  

NTT Group invests USD 3.6 billion in innovation each year. This partnership supports NTT’s commitment to achieving the targets of the Global Goals by 2030 and being a Business Avenger for Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.  

Jansen van Vuuren continues: “Red Bull Basement complements our own approach to innovation, including our InnerSourcing and Co-Innovation programs, that utilize an open-innovation framework with both internal and external innovation. Through these programs, we aim to inspire young people to pursue tech-driven careers and attract talent who are passionate about making a difference in the world through innovation.”