Ubisoft 2016 Annual Report Download - page 99

Corporate social responsibility
4
Societal indicators
Ubisoft Montreal provided support to Heddoko which specializes
in the manufacture of “smart” garments associated with motion
capture technology. The studio is also a founding member of
“La Gare”, a collaborative workspace. As such, it provides fi nancial
support to enable start-ups and entrepreneurs to rent space by
the year;
♦
in Sweden, the Massive studio contributes to the local
“Good Malmö” initiative, involving around a hundred local
entrepreneurs. This government-backed organization aims to
support unemployed young people in their search for work. Along
with other entrepreneurs, Massive sponsors an unemployed
person by offering a year’s employment, as well as providing
moral support and help with fi nding a permanent position.
❙ 4.4.3 PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LOCAL
COMMUNITIES
Following on from the initiatives undertaken in 2014, Ubisoft
remains committed to acquiring the skills demanded by new
technologies and the video games industry. Partnership
initiatives – implemented in association with local schools, NGOs
or government agencies – are tailored to local issues to further the
development of local communities.
Among the many initiatives carried out in 2015, the Montreal and
Bucharest studios offer learning pathways to support young
people and introduce them to new technologies early on: these
include teaching young people to code, organizing video game
development competitions for middle-school students, and offering
internships to young graduates.
In November 2015, Ubisoft Montreal launched the CODEX program.
This consists of a variety of initiatives catering for all educational
backgrounds. The idea is to promote video games as a source of
motivation and learning, which in turn will shape the next generation
of technical creatives in Quebec.
Working in tandem with 17 partners, Ubisoft Montreal supports
12 projects aimed at stimulating and switching young minds on.
Below are some examples:
♦
“Kids Code Jeunesse” teaches programming to Canadian children;
♦
“Academos” provides career guidance and support to 14- to
30-year-olds;
♦ “Fusion Jeunesse” encourages high-school students to design a
video game with the help of Ubisoft mentors;
♦
“One-day internships” teach young people about the careers
available in the video game industry;
♦
the Ubisoft Game Lab Competition gives undergrad students 10 weeks
in which to deliver a playable 3D video-game prototype based on a
brief received from a panel of experts from Ubisoft Montreal.
As part of this program, Ubisoft Montreal has committed to invest
more than CAD 8 million over fi ve years, including more than
a thousand hours a year of mentoring by Ubisoft employees.
For its part, the Bucharest studio offers different courses to students
and graduates in association with various universities.
♦
“Gamecelerator” is a project in partnership with the “Junior
Achievement Romania” organization. Working in teams, teenage
gaming enthusiasts are given the task of designing a video game.
They are supervised by Ubisoft developers, who explain the
challenges facing the industry and help develop the pupils’
technical and business skills. Last year, the prize consisted of
three weeks spent developing their game at the studio.
♦ “Diplodocus” allows future graduates to be mentored by studio
employees for their fi nal degree project.
♦
“Boot camp”: recently launched, this scheme gives student interns
the opportunity to develop their technical skills. They get the
chance to spend a year working on Ubisoft projects under the
supervision of their mentors. The best candidates are ultimately
offered a job.
In addition, an increasing number of partnerships are being
developed with educational establishments (universities, high
schools) and research centers in order to:
♦
raise awareness about new technologies, particularly
at conferences, by explaining the mechanisms contributing to
the creation and development of video games. These events
are mostly open to the public. Ubisoft organized presentations
involving developers to give people insights and answer their
questions, the aim being to make the industry more accessible and
demonstrate the growing importance of digital and innovation.
In the United States, the Red Storm studio has undertaken several
initiatives with its partners to raise awareness of new technologies
among local communities:
• it took part in a round table discussion on the animation process
and the importance of mathematics and science at the STEAM
Carnival (1),
• presentation of the Virtual Reality development in partnership
with RTP 180 (2),
• and attended a conference organized by “Innovate Raleigh” to
present the video games industry and its career opportunities;
♦ share the expertise of our teams:
• by developing the content of educational programs with its
partners:
Several studios have joined forces with universities and colleges
to incorporate new technologies and the art of gaming into
teaching and learning.
(1) STEAM Carnival seeks to inspire the next generation of creators, visionaries, innovators and inventors
(2) Research Triangle Park 180 is an event that brings enthusiasts together to discuss innovation and technology
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