The European Innovation Council (EIC) regularly hosts matchmaking initiatives under their EIC Corporate Partnership Programme. In the EIC Corporate Corner, we discover what makes these corporates tick, what is their approach to innovation and what they are looking for. After the online EIC Multicorporate Day on ConTech, we got together with Holcim, Ferrovial, Sacyr and SFS and their representatives.
On 15 June, the EIC hosted an online Multicorporate Day on ConTech that brought together 20 EIC beneficiaries that presented their solutions to increase innovation in the construction sector. Holcim, Ferrovial, Sacyr and SFS were some of the corporates that co-hosted the event and, to better understand, their approach to innovation we sat down with Matthieu Horgnies (Holcim), R&D Specialist and Technology Scouting Manager, Luis Amorim (Ferrovial Construction), Global Head of Open Innovation, Ana Esteban (Sacyr Engineering and Infrastructure), Head of Innovation, and Alessandra Tursi (SFS), Innovation Manager. Here’s what they had to say!
Can you briefly describe your role within the corporation?
Matthieu Horgnies (Holcim): I’m in charge of Open Innovation at the Holcim Innovation Centre. I also manage the team involved in the Holcim Accelerator.
Luis Amorim (Ferrovial Construction): I’m Global Head of Open Innovation. I manage a team responsible for all Foresight, Partnerships, and engagement with the Startup Ecosystem initiatives.
Ana Esteban (Sacyr): I’m Head of Innovation at Sacyr Engineering and Infrastructure. My role is to observe, inspire, listen and encourage collaborators to be restless and question the status quo.
Alessandra Tursi (SFS): I’m the Head of the Innovation Lab which is dedicated to innovating the SFS Construction business in different aspects: hardware, software, IoT, solution services, etc.
Can you tell us about your approach to (open) innovation and the potential challenges you face in that aspect?
Matthieu Horgnies (Holcim): The construction sector covers a large portfolio of topics and subtopics (from CO2 capture and use and the circular economy to additive fabrication). We aim to cover all the spectrums of knowledge and business that are interesting for us in terms of material providers, to better understand what are and what will be our customers’ needs in the future. In all of this, my mission is to find the best companies in the startup ecosystem – and I’m not alone in that process, as I work with other colleagues within Holcim at different levels.
Luis Amorim (Ferrovial Construction): Mainly Venture Client. We believe this approach allows us to test top startup solutions and scale quickly at low risk and cost. For those not familiar with the Venture Client model, instead of equity, we buy the product of a Startup for validation by a business or functional unit. With this approach we can harness product, process, and business model innovation from Startups, but also strategic insights into new technologies, customisation, pricing, and time-to-market advantages. The challenges are the risk-averse nature of the industry and the lack of an open innovation mindset.
Ana Esteban (Sacyr): As a facilitator that has the responsibility to open communication channels between internal teams and external players to ensure innovation flows, we must detect opportunities and transform them into specific initiatives or projects that hold value to our business – not only economically but also environmentally. The infrastructure sectors have different challenges, per se, where innovation plays a key role. For example, workforce and labour shortage, industry fragmentation and productivity or circularity in terms of materials and waste, reducing our carbon emissions and consuming less energy in our operations. This involves applying recent technologies and boosting innovation throughout the whole sector to keep adapting to potential changes and maintain efficiency.
Alessandra Tursi (SFS): Our approach to innovation has many layers. One of them is the collection of the customer’s pain points that we filter and evaluate through our sales team. As the innovation team, we support the entire division in this process. The second area is related to our internal Research & Development team which develops new ideas and tests them on the market. The third one is directly related to open innovation and combining the 3 approaches in the best way possible.
Recently you teamed up with the EIC to co-host an EIC Multicorporate Day. Can you explain the motivation behind joining forces with the EIC for this initiative?
Matthieu Horgnies (Holcim): The EIC provides access to many startups and SMEs within a global innovation spectrum, and they help us have a better idea of which is more interesting/suitable for us. This is key given we might not have as much time internally as we would like to analyse these companies from beginning to end. Therefore, the EIC becomes the obvious choice when we are seeking new companies to propose technology options.
Luis Amorim (Ferrovial Construction): To be an informed Venture Client, we need to be able to find the top Startups. To do this we continuously scan the global ecosystem by engaging formally or informally with many VCs, CVCs, incubators, accelerators, innovation hubs, universities, etc., using formal or informal communication. Any source is welcome, especially initiatives with great Startups that demonstrate a professionally curated funnel, like the one we are used to getting from EIC.
Ana Esteban (Sacyr): The EIC is an important institution in Europe, and we are very fortunate to have this type of support in our ecosystem. Big corporates like Sacyr need a facilitator like the EIC to help speed up certain aspects of the business and meet market needs. Therefore, the event was a fantastic opportunity for the construction sector, and to find recent technologies that can potentially change business models. That is why collaborations like these are pivotal to making this a reality.
Alessandra Tursi (SFS): The EIC is an interesting ecosystem with a wide range of offerings that gives us just such opportunities as the EIC Multicorporate Day. It is also a great chance to get inspired by the other participating companies and find ideas on how we can apply them to our company.
What are the benefits/advantages of working with the EIC?
Matthieu Horgnies (Holcim): With the construction sector evolving, the EIC is an efficient tool to discover good companies to work with Holcim. The fact that it can be done via the EIC (which is also financing the SME's ecosystem) is beneficial.
Luis Amorim (Ferrovial Construction): On top of what I mentioned before, the EIC’s community platform is a great place to access all EIC-funded organisations, and work with other like-minded stakeholders.
Ana Esteban (Sacyr): Having access to an extensive and reliable network such as EIC that keeps growing its reach on a continuous basis enables us to identify and engage with innovative companies with the potential to bring advanced solutions that contribute to enhance our operations or allow us to tackle an unsolved problem with a promising new approach. Supporting the European innovation network and collaborating with startups and scaleups is a winning combination where mutual learning is promoted. So, the benefits are high.
Alessandra Tursi (SFS): Having the possibility of getting in touch with new companies and their solutions. New solutions that you may never have intentionally looked for, but once you discover them, you better understand how they could benefit your business. It is always about collaborating and developing further.
What mindset and skills do you look for in companies you bring to your ecosystem?
Matthieu Horgnies (Holcim): If they can adapt to our business needs, are interesting for our activity and can transform their solution into an advantageous business opportunity.
Luis Amorim (Ferrovial Construction): We look for tech and agile skills with an outcome-focused mentality.
Ana Esteban (Sacyr): We are focused on materials, technologies and process-improving solutions that can boost our operations, capabilities and service offering taking into account, specifically, a sustainable perspective. We are committed to building sustainable infrastructures that contribute to achieving a better and more sustainable world, so we are always open to finding potential partners in the innovation ecosystem that can help us drive the evolution and transformation of the sector forward. To achieve this, having a collaborative mindset is important.
Alessandra Tursi (SFS): It is a combination of several factors. The knowledge they possess and the added value they can bring to the business. Their team spirit and how they push through ordeals. Their availability to put themselves in discussions to start a new activity or a new project and be receptive to collaborating with a big corporate is also a crucial aspect (alongside their technical knowledge, of course).
What type of partnerships are you looking for with startups?
Matthieu Horgnies (Holcim): It depends on what we see from a startup and the provided solution. We can start with a contract from 6 to 12 months and later decide if we will transform the partnership into an industrial (& business) pilot phase and then into an investment. Indeed, multiple months' technical due diligence is imperative first, to move to other stages. Especially in the construction sector, the whole initial process needs to meet our standards (durability, life-cycle-assessment, etc.).
Luis Amorim (Ferrovial Construction): We are looking for Venture Clienting, but we are also open to Design Partnering, mentorship, participating in accelerators, etc, and we do not rule out direct investment. We are truly open to any type of partnership that can be mutually beneficial.
Ana Esteban (Sacyr): We are looking for technological solutions, new business models and recently developed ways of doing things to create a positive impact in our activities. So, we are looking for real impact and startups have the chance to validate their solutions with Sacyr and develop a long-term business relationship.
Alessandra Tursi (SFS): We are open to any kind of collaboration that helps both parties to grow their business for mutual benefit.
Have you found any interesting opportunities in companies funded by the EIC?
Matthieu Horgnies (Holcim): Yes. Currently, we are in talks with some companies, so we will need to see if potential investments might derive from those discussions.
Luis Amorim (Ferrovial Construction): Absolutely. From the session on 15 June, we have 3 great leads that we will be exploring in the upcoming weeks.
Ana Esteban (Sacyr): Yes, we have a real example of a collaboration that derived from the EIC of a company that has helped us in the past. We established a business collaboration with them for a specific business unit in some of our industrial plants. Thanks to this, we were able to promote the use of alternative sources of energy to power devices. So, this is a clear example of having success due to collaborating with the ecosystem of the EIC.
Alessandra Tursi (SFS): We have a very vertical and specific business. This year, there was no startup, specifically in the fastening business. Nevertheless, it is still an incredibly interesting ecosystem for us – for our production, supply chain, digital team and sales channel. We have collected about 5 contacts that we will further investigate to see if we can find opportunities for collaboration.
Any advice/tips for companies that want to work with you?
Matthieu Horgnies (Holcim): At Holcim, we cover a broad range of innovation. I would say, do not hesitate to contact us if you have an interesting solution within the areas in which we operate. Also, make sure to show us what you could clearly bring to the table in terms of solution/business, to speed up the launch of a future collaboration.
Luis Amorim (Ferrovial Construction): Having a strong customer and outcome focus. Try to understand your customers and what moves them, listen carefully to the feedback you receive during the development of your product, maintain close relationships with the decision-makers and evangelists, and you will be closer to having our (and similar companies) custom in the future. This applies to all development stages/products, even the ones that have the potential to cause serious disruption to the companies you want to work with.
Ana Esteban (Sacyr): It’s important to see innovation as an opportunity to grow because together we can do great things. Make sure to have an open mindset to collaborate with Sacyr because this is always a good chance to test projects in real environments and be able to access a vast professional network – not to mention, to learn and grow and be able to expand the solution to the whole sector.
Alessandra Tursi (SFS): Make sure to showcase your expertise more than your product. It is important to know that the people behind the solutions have the right set of skills, mindset, and attitude to work together.
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DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.