“A huge challenge”. This is how Richard Lagrand, head of innovation at UP – Upcoming Energies, Galp's new innovation factory located at LACS, in Lisbon, views the mission he has just embraced. “We all know the planet is running out of time with regard to dealing with a series of crises for which we are looking for solutions: human rights, energy, food, climate, zero emissions by 2050 ... and we´re running out of time".
Experienced in the field of innovation, Richard Lagrand swapped Startupbootcamp, a startup acceleration programme in Barcelona, for what will be the nerve center of Galp's innovation processes, located on the river Tagus. His past experience of working with startups will be essential in meeting the goals of the new challenge. Indeed, and as he himself acknowledges, this will be the priority for the remainder of 2020. “Discovering startups and scaleups with which we can work to solve the problems and challenges we have within Galp”. As such, he explains, it will be necessary to work closely with the oil business units – mid stream, sales, renewable energies – “to boost efficiency and increase customer satisfaction with 'turnkey' solutions already in existence, developed by scaleups, and which enable us to do business in the best possible manner”.