If there is a key sector to advance the decarbonisation journey and make the most of the ongoing wave of disruption, it is manufacturing. The technological transformation opens a golden opportunity to re-industrialize our country, but also develop, scale and implement solutions … Innovative solutions that make a difference are not an easy task for companies, which in many cases are affected by current needs and emergencies that cannot be postponed. In this context, open innovation is an essential tool for dynamism.
Some initiatives of this type of project are already taking shape in our country. Case in point All4Zeroan industrial innovation “centre” promoted by Repsol, Iberia, Holcim and ArcelorMittal, which works to accelerate decarbonisation with real and applicable solutions in industrial facilities in Spain. This week it provided the balance of its first two years of existence. The Center has already expanded its scope to include companies from different sectors and, as Paula Sanz, General Manager, explains, “is expanding the range of technologies that contribute to decarbonisation and the circular economy, with proof of concept in a real environment.”
The idea of “from laboratory to manufacturing” is one of the foundations of open innovation, cooperation between production and research, between business and industry, universities and research centers, and open doors for processes that benefit both parties, in short, society. Performance supported by the European level within the framework Strategic financing programs (Horizon Europe), such as the European Innovation Council; transnational collaborative projects; European Technology Platforms (PTEs), industry-led forums that bring together companies, researchers, regulators, or leading companies, bringing together hundreds of academic teams, research centers and industries from across Europe.
This exchange of knowledge and experience (favoring, for example, the creation of subsidiaries, patents or support for specialized training and research) promotes, as Sanz highlighted at the All4Zero event, such ambitious goals “such as reaching net zero emissions in 2050, which is possible thanks to cooperation between stakeholders, which allows to double the efficiency of results, transforming innovation into real solutions”.
A proactive relationship in which representatives of companies and other research institutions present agreed on this balance and future outlook: Airbus, Orpasser, the Circe Technology Center and Energy for Hydrogen, with solutions, for example, on SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), the “new life” of concrete, sustainable waste management and wastewater purification, transport and storage of captured carbon dioxide, and recycling and recovery of polyurethane.
Ignacio López Dieguez, Managing Director, Industry “Universities provide scientific knowledge, talent and the ability to experiment, while companies provide market orientation, resources and the potential to scale solutions.”
Lots of efficiency
As an Accenture spokesperson adds, “Collaboration is directed through technology centres, university business chairs, such as the Accenture Chair in Digital Skills with the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) or public programs such as those of CDTI.” All help is little, in a global sectoral context, where efficiency is stubbornly rising… Suffice it to point out one of the conclusions of the Accenture report, “The Success Guide for Large Infrastructure Projects”: 92% of projects are completed late and cost more than expected In the energy sector (energy and utility companies around the world), this number rises to 94%.
In the case of Mondragon Unibertsitatea (MU), Carlos García, coordinator of its Polytechnic, points to cases “such as the training program launched three years ago, recently strengthened with Amazon, to respond to the challenge of attracting talent and training in mechatronics technologies, embodied in the implementation in various aspects of the higher degree training course in mechatronics whose contents were adapted to the specificities of the company.” Faculty members devote a quarter of their time to the tasks of research and generating knowledge, and the same amount to the tasks of transferring that knowledge to the company. “Our research model (adds Garcia) aims to achieve levels of scientific excellence, and integration with the needs of our companies in the medium and long term. “We are developing a collaborative model for research and transportation, where trust and shared goals multiply resource efficiency.”
The mission is carried out, first and foremost, in the company’s classrooms or laboratories, “exclusively dedicated workspaces where the company’s technicians, MU researchers and students in dual training are located”, with around thirty long-term collaborative research and transfer programs with companies, with a total value of more than 15 million euros per year. In accordance with this development, a new building was launched a year ago to house Hirekin, to promote the generation of new sustainable industrial activities.
Another example is Polo Positivo, an industrial enterprise accelerator program promoted by Aquitore, Caja de Burgos Foundation, Gonvari, Antolin, Hyperbaric, Grupo Korea and Grupo Kropo, which supports entrepreneurs and SMEs in developing innovative and sustainable initiatives capable of generating wealth and employment in the industrial sector. Through its Idea Magnet, Industry Challenge and SME Catalyst programmes, the entity addresses… Complete project detection and monitoring cycle: Specific challenges are identified to find real solutions, linking technologies and services to industry, promoting small businesses with growth potential, etc.
«In this context (highlights Javier Cuasante, Head of the Business Dynamics Area of Caja de Burgos Foundation and Technical Office of Polo Positivo) the cooperation with the University of Burgos-UBU is strategic. We work together on multiple initiatives, such as RUN-EU, where our startups serve as a reference for other entrepreneurs and participate in international exchange programmes; OTRI, where we serve as jurors for proofs of concept; UBU Emprende, to promote university entrepreneurship; and UBU Abierta, where we contribute to “soft” skills training for students and entrepreneurs of the Nexo Collective.
Less bureaucracy
As Quasanti emphasizes, the accelerator allows you to experience open innovation in practice: “We bring real challenges to companies and give young talent the opportunity to turn them into solutions. As an accelerator, our value is to turn that emerging talent into viable solutions, and accompany students and recent graduates as they validate their ideas with industry. In this regard, it creates an innovation ecosystem that enhances development and opportunities in the region.
It is a virtuous cycle, however, and there is still a long way to go: “Despite the progress of the ecosystem, it is essential for companies and universities to work in the same direction, to activate financing mechanisms with short-term returns and to encourage more flexibility by simplifying bureaucratic procedures,” says López Dieguez.
A collaborative effort that is strategically defined with a clear goal “and becomes a critical lever for generating industrial solutions that have a real impact on the industry, generate competitive advantages and allow the acceleration of the transformation of the industrial fabric towards more competitive and digital models.”