From digital ski passes to artificial intelligence integrated into ski lifts, as well as new year-round activities: the 12th edition of Pitch Inno’, organised as part of the Domaines Skiables de France Congress, showcased six solutions that are already up and running. What they all have in common is that they address very specific challenges currently faced by ski resort operators.
Time is running out: three minutes to make the case. On 24 September, at the Domaines Skiables de France Congress, Cluster Montagne and Domaines Skiables de France put innovation back in the spotlight with the 12th edition of Pitch Inno’. Six companies were invited to present a recent solution – one that had already been developed and brought to market within the last three years – to an audience of mountain industry professionals.
Above all, this edition provides an opportunity to gauge the pulse of a sector in flux. The innovations on display address a wide range of issues: simplifying access to activities, diversification, customer experience, user comfort, safety and operational optimisation.
Tap to Ski: when your bank card replaces your ski pass
The first innovation directly addresses one of the most restrictive aspects of the customer journey: purchasing and accessing the service.
With Tap to Ski, developed by the Caisse d’Epargne Rhône Alpes, your bank card, smartphone or smartwatch can be used directly as a ticket. In principle, therefore, it is no longer necessary to use a specific medium to access the activity.
But the system goes further than simply going paperless. It is based on a pay-as-you-go system, capable of automatically calculating the best rate based on actual usage. For the operator, Tap to Ski also represents both a new sales channel and a tool that can improve the management of visitor flows. The technology has already been put to the test in real-world conditions, with a pilot scheme having been carried out at 7 Laux.
Behind this innovation lies a broader trend: that of a resort seeking to reduce the barriers between the desire to take part and actual access to the activity. This approach is similar to that already seen in urban transport with contactless payment.
INUIT reimagines hiking… with the occasional toboggan ride
Innovation is not limited to the digital sphere. With its slide trail, INUIT is tackling another major challenge facing mountain destinations: diversifying and creating activities that are accessible beyond the winter season alone.
The concept involves creating a walking trail along which visitors encounter various slides that are seamlessly integrated into the route and the natural landscape. It is a fun, family-friendly attraction, designed to be enjoyed all year round.
The economic benefits of the concept can already be seen in real-world conditions. In Charmey, Switzerland, more than 20,000 visitors are said to have tried the activity over a ten-month period, with an estimated return on investment of two and a half years, according to data provided as part of the Pitch Inno’ event.
This search for activities that can complement skiing and enhance the year-round appeal of these regions has now become a key focus of development for many resorts. I Love Ski had already observed this approach during a Cluster Montagne mission to the Pyrenees, where the synergy between skiing, mountain biking, spa tourism and valley-based activities emerged as a central element of the tourism strategy.
Itinemap aims to bring ski-area maps into the age of digital navigation
The piste map remains one of the most iconic features of a ski resort. Itinemap offers a way to retain its visual identity whilst transforming it into a fully-fledged digital navigation tool.
The aim is twofold. From the visitor’s perspective, the system should make it easier to get around the estate and encourage them to explore new areas. From the operator’s perspective, the data generated can help to provide a better understanding of usage patterns and visitor flows.
The proposal is interesting because it does not seek to replace each station’s distinctive graphic codes with standardised mapping. On the contrary, it aims to transform a familiar medium into an interactive tool, whilst retaining the domain’s visual identity.
At a time when ski resorts have access to an ever-increasing amount of data, insight into customer journeys is gradually becoming an operational tool: understanding which areas are popular, how visitors move around and where crowds gather can help to optimise the experience offered on the slopes.
Sunflex: protecting the cabins… and improving passenger comfort
Innovation can also take a much less visible form. With Sunflex, Luxiglass is focusing on glazing for cable cars. The principle involves installing a solar and protective film directly onto existing glass surfaces.
This must fulfil several functions: minimising scratches, reducing heat gain inside vehicles, improving passenger comfort and extending the service life of the windows. By preventing or delaying certain replacement operations, the solution may also offer benefits in terms of maintenance.
A telling example of an innovation that is less spectacular than a new ski lift, but which has the potential to improve the customer experience, reduce operating costs and extend the lifespan of the equipment all at once.
Monolithe gives rock a new lease of life with its climbing walls
Diversification of resorts also depends on the ability to offer new sporting activities that can be easily incorporated into existing facilities.
Monolithe develops bouldering areas made from natural rock. The concept is designed for climbers of all abilities and combines sport, fun and gamification. Another distinctive feature is the materials used: the boulders come from quarries and are repurposed to create these new climbing areas.
This approach is in line with a broader trend in mountain tourism: creating activities that remain in harmony with their environment whilst appealing to a wider audience than just expert enthusiasts.
Trinum integrates artificial intelligence directly into the cameras
It is probably one of the most technologically advanced innovations in this year’s event.
With SKOL Occupancy, Trinum uses artificial intelligence to analyse various situations around ski lifts in real time. In particular, the system can monitor seat occupancy rates, queues and whether passengers are safe on their seats. Depending on the situations detected, it can automatically trigger an alert or take action.
Its technical uniqueness also stems from the chosen architecture: the artificial intelligence is built directly into the camera. Processing can therefore take place without going via the cloud and without the need for an external processing unit.
Beyond the mere ‘AI’ aspect, the application is highly practical. The aim here is not to use artificial intelligence to generate content or analyse data retrospectively, but to integrate it directly into equipment to support the running of the estate in real time.
Three minutes to come up with solutions that can be put into practice straight away
The format of the Pitch Inno’ is deliberately concise. Each company has three minutes, comprising a one-minute-thirty-second video followed by a discussion on stage with the conference host.
However, the process does not end with the pitch. The selected companies are supported in producing video content that they can then reuse on their own platforms. They are also brought together in a dedicated area within the Congress’s Exhibition and Networking Event to facilitate discussions with operators, decision-makers and professionals in attendance.
That is precisely one of the benefits of this sort of event: bridging the gap between those who develop the solutions and those who may eventually have to use them in the field.
The mountain is now driving innovation at every stage of the experience
Taken individually, the six projects address very different issues. Viewed as a whole, however, they provide a fairly accurate picture of the current transformation of ski resorts.
Innovation is no longer simply synonymous with new ski lifts or increased capacity. It now comes into play before visitors even reach the slopes – through marketing; whilst they are skiing – through guidance and crowd management; on the ski lifts – through comfort and safety; and also in the diversification of the activities offered by the resorts.
This is also the stated aim of Domaines Skiables de France and the Cluster Montagne through the ‘Pitch Inno’ initiative: to raise the profile of companies developing practical solutions and to encourage dialogue between suppliers and operators on innovations that are already in use.
This initiative is fully in line with the mission of the Mountain Cluster, which was established in 2012 and now has 302 members in 2026. The network aims to pool skills, expertise and the capacity for experimentation for the benefit of mountain regions and businesses.
And perhaps this is ultimately what this twelfth edition of Pitch Inno’ illustrates best: the major transformations taking place in mountain regions are also driven by a multitude of highly targeted innovations (sometimes inconspicuous) but designed to tackle extremely practical problems encountered every day on the ground.
