Eurecat creates a framework for working with companies that “makes it possible to accelerate innovation processes, help with project management and, above all, reduce the risk of projects with a higher level of disruption,” highlights Roger Font, Director of Markets at Eurecat, in this interview, where he discusses Eurecat’s lines of work to innovate and achieve tangible results.
How important is innovation for companies?
Innovation is the only way for a company to generate the business model of the future. In many cases, it does not have to be related to the current model and may even represent a drastic change to the existing business. Although there is broad consensus that investing in innovation ultimately generates results, not all companies commit to a systemic innovation model that is open to collaboration with ecosystem players.
The main reason is that disruptive projects generate internal tension, as they cannot be managed within the company’s operational structure. For this reason, it is important to establish a methodology and leadership that ensure a certain independence of the process while remaining aligned with the company’s strategy. We must also be able to create mechanisms to exploit new opportunities that arise beyond the company’s own boundaries.
From Eurecat, how do you identify real innovation needs in companies, especially in sectors where it is not yet a strategic priority?
Rather than identifying innovation needs or challenges, our approach is to establish a medium-term collaboration framework through which we accompany companies in defining an innovation strategy and in driving projects that significantly improve productivity or develop new business models. Creating this framework allows us to accelerate innovation processes, help manage the project portfolio and, above all, reduce the risk of projects with a higher degree of disruption.
To achieve this, we use several tools that are essential for accelerating the process and that we make available to companies. These range from establishing environmental scanning processes, technological foresight, development of innovation methodologies and prototyping, to support in defining new business models and market testing.
What role does public–private collaboration play in the projects led by Eurecat, and how is it managed to generate tangible results?
As economist Mariana Mazzucato defines in “Mission-Driven Innovation,” addressing complex, large-scale challenges with the capacity for economic, social and technological transformation requires collaboration among all ecosystem players. Some technologies that are currently accelerating their adoption, such as AI, are a very clear example. Without the technological infrastructure needed for scaling and the development of use cases that allow the application of models not generated within our ecosystems, it is difficult to understand the medium-term impact of these technologies. For this reason, in higher-risk environments, collaboration across all levels of innovation is essential to energize the entire ecosystem.
An example led by Eurecat that demonstrates public–private collaboration is the H2CAT Network. This project is coordinated by Eurecat in collaboration with ICIQ, IREC, UPC and URV, and is funded by AGAUR (Government of Catalonia). Its aim is to energize the green hydrogen ecosystem in Catalonia, generate knowledge and accelerate the transfer of new applications to the market.
In a context where innovation is often associated solely with technology, how does Eurecat promote more integrative approaches that also include organizational or business model innovation?
I believe the paradigm of internal innovation within a single company is obsolete. A clear innovation strategy drives collaboration with the ecosystem and provides access to key knowledge and infrastructure to develop innovative projects. In this sense, technology centres like Eurecat are key allies in accelerating the market entry of new solutions. Moreover, in the current international context, innovation is increasingly based on relationships of trust and proximity, and it is crucial for companies to be able to rely on ecosystem players who specialize in emerging technologies and can support their application.
Innovation can occur in many areas and does not necessarily have to be driven by technology. Changes in organizational models, new commercial models or new business models do not necessarily imply a technological leap. What is true, however, is that innovation based on the application of new technologies creates higher entry barriers for competitors and can usually be protected through patents, enabling longer exploitation cycles. In other words, a business model can be easily replicated, whereas a new technology-based service is difficult to replicate in the short term. At Eurecat, we not only help companies generate and apply new technologies, but also support them in market validation of new concepts, development of new business models and in bringing innovative products to market.
Could you give an example of a company you have supported in its innovation process?
One company with which we have worked on implementing an innovation methodology is Giró. In this case, the company faces major challenges, such as legislative and environmental changes, which have driven it to develop new innovation capabilities to remain competitive. We supported the company in defining an innovation strategy, work streams and establishing the necessary internal leadership to accelerate a cultural change that enables it to address new challenges.
Within this framework, we collaborated on researching suitable cellulose fibres to replace conventional plastic threads, identifying an optimal hot-melt adhesive to seal the new packaging, and designing and characterizing an alternative closing system to metal strapping to achieve fully recyclable packaging.
What differences do you observe between large companies and SMEs when addressing innovation? What specific strategies does Eurecat apply to adapt to these different realities?
More than turnover or number of employees, the key difference lies between companies that have a structured innovation process and those that do not. Having an internal methodology and innovation leadership greatly helps accelerate project results. Innovation management is our natural ally. Another key factor is where decision-making centres are located. We often collaborate with large multinationals where decisions are not made within our ecosystem. Since innovation is based on trust, scaling projects with high potential can sometimes be difficult due to challenges in collaborating with R&D centres outside our ecosystem. In areas where we have differentiated knowledge and infrastructure, we manage to overcome this barrier and generate projects with international impact.
At Eurecat, we adapt our offering to the company’s innovation capacity. For companies with an established innovation structure, we offer support in project detection, conceptualization and development. For companies without a defined innovation strategy, we first support strategic development and priority setting, and then focus on building an initial portfolio of innovative projects.
With current technological acceleration, how does Eurecat ensure that its capabilities and research lines remain aligned with emerging market trends?
At Eurecat, we define strategic priorities and research lines aimed at achieving significant impact in areas such as healthy ageing and decarbonization, among others. We develop research lines to generate knowledge in these fields, which are key areas focused on addressing highly complex global challenges. This allows us to create stable research lines.
Internally, we invest in our own R&I projects, enabling us to generate knowledge, technology and applications aligned with our strategic axes. To ensure alignment with current trends, we have internal review mechanisms and a Scientific Directorate that identifies current and future trends using technological foresight methodologies.
How important are training and internal talent development in systematizing innovation for companies?
Innovation requires work along four fundamental axes: strategy, culture, technology and talent. They must be developed in parallel, and it is difficult to advance one without the others. To create an innovative culture, beyond having a clear strategy and leadership, it is essential to develop the talent needed to drive new challenges and projects. For this reason, Eurecat is committed to training in new key areas and technologies to prepare and support companies in developing new capabilities. Through Eurecat Academy, we train more than 8,000 professionals each year and offer over 300 courses annually.
What tools does Eurecat offer to ensure continuity and scalability of innovative solutions developed together?
Eurecat offers support services for industrial scaling of innovative projects. We have the knowledge and technological infrastructure that allow companies to conceptualize, design, prototype, validate and reach pre-production of new products. Most importantly, we establish alliances with companies to systematically support them in generating new innovation-based projects.
Looking to the future, in which areas or sectors does Eurecat see the greatest opportunities to generate competitive advantages through innovation?
It is clear that several technologies will shape the competitiveness of our companies in the coming years. Eurecat’s major competitive advantage lies in being specialists in several of these technologies and generating new applications by integrating multiple solutions.
One example is the project carried out for agricultural machinery manufacturer Teyme, involving the transformation and automation of processes in the agriculture 4.0 line by applying technologies such as artificial intelligence, computer vision and sensorics, with the aim of improving machinery efficiency.
Another example is the collaboration with Gràfiques Manlleu, a leading company in paper labelling for the food industry, with whom we developed a technological solution integrating photonics and artificial intelligence algorithms to automatically detect pattern differences and identify anomalies in labels, thereby improving productivity.
