A closer look at HAPSTER, Safran’s intrapreneurship success story

A closer look at HAPSTER, Safran's intrapreneurship success story

New horizons after a successful excubation! After having won Safran's third edition of the "We Love Intrapreneurs" program in 2022, HAPSTER now aims to revolutionize corporate training with its innovative solution. Partnerships, achievements, challenges, and future prospects - here's a closer look at HAPSTER's strategy with insights from Franck Vermet and Valérie Manier.

HAPSTER aims to significantly reduce the time required to train employees for specific roles, enhance their skills, and ensure their know-how is preserved over the long term. The startup provides companies with a platform, as well as support to create digitalized, customizabletraining paths. How does it work? By leveraging the TWI ("Training With Industry") method and combining it with cutting-edge technologies and human expertise, HAPSTER maps the precise know-how required for each profession.

As a product of the "We Love Intrapreneurs" program, HAPSTER reached a significant milestone with its "excubation" in January 2024, marking its independence from Safran. The team behind this young and ambitious startup now aims to build on its success.

Expanding possibilities with artificial intelligence

From its creation, HAPSTER has been committed to offering an inclusive solution, providing audio versions of each course as well as text translations. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), content can be translated into multiple languages, adapting to users throughout the world. AI also automatically converts written text into spoken content.

"Our approach to AI is twofold. First, we use existing technologies for tasks like content translation. Second, we've developed our own algorithm to teach it what we call 'action grammar'," explains Franck Vermet, before adding that "when we teach a skill, we systematically identify the 'what', the 'how' (i.e. key tips to succeed in the action), and the 'why' of this action (i.e. the purpose and meaning behind the action). These three elements must be expressed in a simple manner, with as few words as possible. With this in mind, we drafted our action grammar and programmed it into our AI. As a result, when training content is created, a red dot is displayed and writing suggestions are automatically proposed if this grammar is not respected. Our customers therefore benefit from greater autonomy and more time to design their training materials."

In time, HAPSTER's goal is to create a repository of know-how encompassing various professions. The aim is to create a dynamic archive that will not only preserve existing expertise and facilitate its transmission, but also to anticipate the needs of future professions. "Generative AI will allow us to define emerging professions and uncover the skills needed to meet future demands. Experts will nevertheless always be essential for transferring knowledge, as their experience and personal approaches cannot be replaced by technology. Regardless of what happens, humans will remain at the heart of it all," explains Valérie Manier.

A strong partnership with Safran

While excubation implies independence, it doesn't mean cutting ties! HAPSTER thus maintains a close connection with the group that brought it to life, in particular through an initial framework contract. This agreement supports HAPSTER in deploying its hybrid (physical and digital) training solutions, therefore contributing to designing training programs for Saran's industrial schools network.

At the same time, Safran also continues to support HAPSTER by contributing to its continuous improvement process: Franck Vermet indicates that "Safran's feedback on data storage allowed us to develop a simplified and secure cloud solution, which is hosted on our end and approved by Safran's DDSI*.

The Group has also promoted this solution to its suppliers. "We are currently in discussion with four of these suppliers, and have already worked with a fifth, which has yielded excellent results. Average training times were reduced from two to five years to three months." Moreover, Safran connected us with representatives from the Aero Excellence program, a supplier evaluation tool sponsored by Safran and recognized across the industry," points out Franck Vermet.

A versatile digital transformation solution

HAPSTER's solution is applicable across a wide range of sectors. This versatility is reflected in the wide range of customers and partners serviced by the startup, including in the aeronautics and nuclear power sectors, as well as in administration with France Travail, and the luxury goods sector. "We've been members of GIFEN** since October 2024. In order to improve operational excellence, the nuclear sector has been eager to learn from aeronautics. We've also communicated with GIFAS*** on several occasions, pitching our solution to its Labor Relations Commission. We are also working closely with the pharmaceutical sector to address its specific training needs, as it is highly regulated.Having Safran as a reference has been a major advantage for building our network, as it's a guarantee of excellence," Franck emphasizes.

*Digital and IT Systems department.

**GIFEN: Groupement des Industriels Français de l'Énergie Nucléaire (Trade association of the French nuclear industry).

***GIFAS: Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales (French association of aerospace industries).

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