"Open innovation allows us to adapt flexibly and quickly to change"

"Changes in our industry are taking place at an increasingly breakneck speed and you need to have great flexibility. Although at Endesa we have an excellent team, we know that the key is to work together with those with the most knowledge, regardless of whether they are at a university, another company, a technology centre, a foundation or a startup." José Bogas, CEO of Endesa, sums up what the company understands by the idea of open innovation during his talk with María Benjumea, chairwoman and founder of The South Summit.

In the interview, which was broadcast during the second day of this international meeting of business minds, Bogas highlighted the importance of being part of the innovation ecosystem in order to "create new approaches, speed up projects and create environments that ensure cooperation between business cultures and their renewal."

We have been applying open innovation at Endesa since 2012, not only with external agents but also within the company. As Bogas said, "innovation teams now work far more closely with business lines in multidisciplinary teams. Innovation is increasingly part of the day-to-day life of all employees." As part of the Enel Group we have access to solutions that might originate anywhere in the world.

Enel has a network of ten Innovation Hubs around the world that are responsible for identifying the best startups, one of which – the European Hub – is based in Spain. Through these networks we promote partnerships with startups by means of a model that usually begins with a pilot or proof of concept that we offer to the startup with the aim of them becoming a supplier.

Another key part of the interview is the definition of the term innovability, coined by the Enel Group to combine the notions of innovation and sustainability. We have no doubt in our minds that a sustainable future will be based on innovation. "This means a strong commitment to the energy transition. To this end we are working on the deployment of new renewable plants and the development of new products and services for our end customers in which ectricity is used efficiently, based on our smart grids and the digitisation of our infrastructures and processes" said Bogas. This is a commitment and a challenge in which we need everyone's help, which is why we are encouraging startups to join us.