Efacec launches hop.in, the open innovation platform aimed at entrepreneurs, start-ups, researchers, SMEs, customers, employees, partners and all those who aim to co-create solutions in the areas of energy, mobility and the environment. Collaboration, diversity and permanent challenge are the main drivers of the new hop.in platform, opening the way to a more sustainable future that combines the skills of Efacec teams and its strategic partners so that, together, they become more agile and relevant in the innovation ecosystem.

Applications are open until April 30 and candidates can submit their ideas to solve the challenges proposed by Efacec at https://hop-in.efacec.com/ in four different categories: LEGO WAREHOUSE – Setting up a Configurable Warehouse, Smart Analytics Toolkit, All-in-One Vehicle Location System and SPADA – Space Data Analytics, in the areas of logistics, automation, transportation and space respectively. The proposals will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team from Efacec and the chosen proposals will have access to a long-term partnership, solution validation, sustainable business opportunity and experimentation, exposure and expansion with Efacec. Hop.in was presented today to the national and international market in a digital event that included a panel of experts in the areas of innovation, technology and sustainability. Ângelo Ramalho, Efacec CEO, highlighted that “Hop.in encourages civil society, to think, build and implement the future of technology and innovation. Because we believe that individually, we can dream of a better tomorrow, but together we have the power to build it! And without limits. And that’s what Efacec’s purpose is all about: designing a smarter future for a better life for us and for future generations”.

Sandra Pombo, Efacec’s Brand and Communication Director and Corporate Affairs Officer, highlighted the importance of Purpose in the leadership and management of organizations, namely in terms of impact and for achieving objectives. Nuno Silva, CTO of Efacec, addressed innovation and the cutting-edge solutions and systems that are part of the daily lives of millions of people around the world, and which respond to the main challenges of today’s society, namely the blue economy, decarbonisation and digitalisation, strategic pillars for the development of sustainable societies, on which Efacec bases all its activity.

Filipe Santos, Dean of the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, one of the world’s references in the social innovation and entrepreneurship sector, awarded the Social Innovation Thought Leader 2019 award by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, was the session’s keynote speaker and addressed the need to leverage the sustainable innovation ecosystem, breaking the boundaries of traditional practices to inspire members of the ecosystem to create added value for the markets through open innovation. The C.Novation Panel, on co-creation, collaboration, creativity and challenge, was joined by: Jorge Portugal, Director General of COTEC, Filipe Araújo, Vice President and Innovation Director of Porto City Hall, Tomás Archer de Carvalho, Innovation Director of imatch, Débora Campos, CEO and founder of AgroGrin Tech and Andrea Rubei, COO of Microsoft Portugal. Hugo Campelo, Efacec’s Technology Director, moderated the conversation that allowed to enrich the innovation ecosystem from different points of view: public, private, start-ups, technology giants and to better understand how these synergies coexist in the development of innovative solutions for the future.

The event also included the participation of street artist Filipe Granja (mynameisnotSEM) who, in a disruptive way, personalized Efacec’s QC60 electric charger, recently launched in the market along with other electric vehicle charging solutions in early 2021, metaphorizing the creativity and innovation that Efacec seeks to imprint in the areas of sustainability, energy and mobility with the new hop.in.