Develter Innovation has become a partner of the IMPACT event organised by the Antoine Alléno association. Stéphane Develter, its president, shares his vision of this collaboration and explains its importance in finding innovative solutions for road safety.
How did you hear about the Antoine Alléno Association?
I became aware of the association through the media coverage of Antoine Alléno’s accident and the creation of the association, which works to raise awareness of the dangers of the road and supports victims and their families. In my job as a road risk prevention trainer, I’ve always been sensitive to these initiatives. I had in mind the idea of one day working with them.
In the end, it was the association that contacted me in June 2024 to ask me to apply for a grant as part of their call for innovative start-ups, in order to finance the innovation brought to our simulators. I immediately replied that I wasn’t interested in receiving money from an association, but that on the contrary, I was interested in exploring a collaboration to help them raise public awareness of safer driving. From there, the dialogue began on how we could work together.
What were the first areas of collaboration?
My idea was to provide driving simulators and trainers for awareness-raising events to help the association achieve its objectives. So we decided to provide 3 driving simulators and support from our trainers for their awareness-raising needs at the forthcoming VivaTech trade fair. VivaTech is a major international trade fair at which the association will have a 500 m² stand. It’s an excellent opportunity to raise public and professional awareness of road safety. Our simulators will enable visitors to try out driving situations and gain a better understanding of the issues involved in prevention. We also want to highlight the rehabilitation of road accident victims. One of our simulators, Rehab Evolution, will be available to show the general public that it is possible to learn to drive again, even if you are disabled.
You seem to be very involved in raising awareness of road safety. Do you have an example that illustrates the impact of your work?
Yes, there are several memorable stories. One of them concerns Valentin, a young man with a disability who had been told he would never be able to drive. His mother contacted me and, thanks to our simulator, he was able to assess his abilities and finally take his driving test again. This kind of experience, with a positive outcome, shows just how much our tools can make a difference to people’s lives.
Would you like to say a final word?
I’m convinced that our commitment to the Alléno association will bear fruit. Above all, the aim is to save lives and provide practical solutions to road risk prevention. If we can contribute to this mission, then our commitment will make perfect sense.