From New York to the World: Driving Innovation Across the Pond With Metro Group, Culinary Agents & NY Intl

Anchored within the international startup and innovation hub New York City, New York International is a trusted partner for professionals, corporates, and cities when it comes to scouting and implementing innovation.

For the Metro Group, the German retail giant with a vast store network and consumer base all over Europe and Asia, our team compiles industry and innovation updates core to the future of retail, e-commerce, F&B, and hospitality. Under the leadership of Stefanie Lemcke, founder of New York International and project lead, the team continuously feeds “Metro’s" internal think tank with emerging ideas, concepts, technologies, and trends relevant to the group’s strategic focal points.

“The interface between digital and brick-and-mortar retail is much further developed here than in Europe - the U.S. is up to two years ahead.” - Stefanie Lemcke

Capturing the immense innovative activity in New York, Silicon Valley, and beyond, is an ongoing, exciting and challenging endeavor. The quantity and variety of product and service ideas are mind-boggling, and a shortlist can only hold so many recommendations for Metro Group to potentially invest in, collaborate, or partner with. For that reason, we have developed a systematic approach to categorize and filter promising newcomers and pilot projects nurturing Metro Group’s inherent commitment to customer value and benefit.

Among the successful projects and implementationsCulinary Agents, an American networking and job-matching site, which entered into a partnership with Metro Group earlier in 2015.

Founder Alice Cheng recalls: "When we presented our concept to Olaf Koch and his team, we were all excited: both sides very quickly came to a clear vision of how our service could support the customers of METRO Cash & Carry and how we could bring together our respective areas of expertise to collaborate in new markets. It was the ideal basis for a successful partnership!”

In the USA, some 4,500 companies are already using the job networking website. Since October 2015, Culinary Agents has additionally been active in cooperation with Metro Group in France and Italy.

Driving innovation and international expansion is in our DNA and success stories like this indicate what the future holds for those who dare to dream big. In that sense: Let's think bigger together - with New York International and partners.

Read more on innovation at Metro Group, its collaboration with Culinary Agent, and Stefanie’s involvement the Metro Group’s Annual Report.