Because trust is essential for societies to flourish, innovation should be available to everyone. Thales is committed to sharing its talent and expertise with civil society so that everyone can be a part of the decisive transformations of tomorrow.
In 2019, Thales redefined its corporate citizenship strategy in order to coordinate the Group's community engagement initiatives around priority themes and common criteria and increase their societal impact and continue the actions of the Thales Foundation after five years of significant achievements.
This strategy is now organised under the Thales Solidarity programme. Initiatives supported across the Group aim to leverage innovation and technology to serve three focus areas:
• Education and professional integration
• Digital citizenship
• Environmental protection.
The projects we support aim to provide underprivileged groups or those in at-risk areas with more equal opportunities. Projects are selected and evaluated using the following criteria:
• Societal impact: The project aims to produce a measurable benefit and impact in response to a clearly identified societal need that is being poorly addressed or ignored.
• Responsible innovation: The project uses new technology responsibly to improve access and/or accelerate its intended impact.
• Effectiveness: Resources (human, financial, technical, etc.) are mobilised and optimised to meet the project's objectives.
• Sustainability: The project will have a long-term impact and will live on after Thales's support ends.
• Engagement: Thales employees are involved in the project and/or can participate in volunteering opportunities.
The charitable fund will take over from the Thales Foundation at the Group level in 2020 to finance projects with a high societal impact and support employee engagement initiatives through an annual call for projects.
Thales entities – sites, Countries and GBUs – support and lead engagement initiatives locally or within their respective areas.
Employees contribute by proposing projects or participating in voluntary assignments or employee mobilisation opportunities accessible year-round on the engagement platform (available early 2020).
Despite the health crisis, Thales Solidarity continued to work with its non-profit partners to ensure the continuity of many projects
