In this edition of El Periscopio, we talk to Ana EstebanInnovation Manager of Sacyr Innovación e Infraestructuras, and Arantxa Quintanamanager of open innovation at Sacyr. We make innovation more accessible, identifiable and understandable through the case of the large company where they work. In this podcast, we discover how to build a strong innovation culture in a company with more than 40,000 employees.
The facilitators
Within Sacyr, their role is to observe, inspire, listen and challenge teams to be curious and question the status quo. As facilitators, they tell us they are responsible for opening channels of communication between the company's internal teams and external agents to ensure that innovation flows.
They explain that the key is to identify opportunities and turn them into initiatives or projects that generate economic, social and environmental value for the company.
Cultivating innovation
At Sacyr, more than 40 people are dedicated to innovation, but the entire company works to achieve it.
"There is a culture of innovation that is taking root," says Ana.
All employees strive to be innovative, and this is reflected in their attitude in favor of innovation.
Sacyr invests heavily in promoting innovation through its Culture and Communication departments, which develop programs and initiatives for dissemination, training and inspiration.
The solution to the challenge
Sacyr Challenges i is Sacyr's open innovation vehicle.
The program, which is one of the pillars of its innovation and transformation strategy, is a dynamic space where innovation, technology and collaboration with the innovation ecosystem converge.
Ana and Arantxa explain that, through iChallenges, Sacyr shares the challenges of its business unit so that other companies can provide solutions.
Thanks to this tool, they have achieved global reach. Each edition takes them to more companies and countries, allowing them to discover new centers of innovation.
The innovation funnel
Arantxa explains that working on innovation requires a dynamic process of identifying challenges.
Each year, they introduce improvements to enhance their approach in line with their innovation strategy.
They bring together experts from all business areas around major topics and collaborate to promote idea generation and diverse contributions.
They listen carefully, accept diversity and follow a process of analysis, definition and prioritization with the business teams.
Key alliances
The company does not work alone.
"Internal and external collaboration is key and a clear accelerator of talent" says Arantxa.
Sacyr strongly believes in partnerships for innovation. Our guests believe that collaboration across teams and with external talent opens up new perspectives and approaches. They insist that solutions often come easily from different fields that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Opening up to the world
"Innovation makes no sense if it is not open innovation," says Ana.
Both guests agree that knowledge exists everywhere, inside and outside the company. Arantxa reminds us that the outside world is always bigger and more talented, so we should not be afraid to trust it.
The essence of creativity
Both Ana and Arantxa believe that creativity is key to innovation. They encourage us to get out of our comfort zone to develop it.
"Curiosity is the engine of creativity," says Ana.
We must be curious and ask questions, always with an open mind.
They conclude with the idea that many people rush to find solutions without focusing enough on the problem, believing that creativity is for others. However, we must recognize that creativity is about making connections, and we can all do it. We should all apply it in our daily lives.
