“Innovation has to be another driving force to contribute to reducing the environmental impact of industrial production” We speak to Jana Vives, Director of Innovation at Vallformosa.
Vallformosa, with more than 150 years of history, is a company that produces wines and sparkling wines, where tradition, innovation, sustainability and differentiation coexist in all their aspects. It has recently joined the INDPULS community to contribute to the development of the industrial ecosystem through collaborative innovation.
Jana Vives is the Innovation Director of Vallformosa, one of the pillars of the company, which seeks to generate a positive impact on the company.
“At Vallformosa, we consider innovation as a key process to remain competitive and to be able to meet the needs of our customers”.
Below, Jana Vives shares with us her point of view on innovation, sustainability and how she imagines the future of the industrial ecosystem.
Innovation can have a very broad definition that takes -according to each person/entity- different scopes and dimensions. What is innovation for you?
For me, innovation is a very complete term that encompasses many things: observing, thinking, creating new ideas, knowing how to collaborate, being able to adapt, knowing how to communicate, taking risks and accepting challenges.
At Vallformosa, we consider innovation as a key process to remain competitive and to be able to satisfy the needs of our customers.
How do you apply innovation in your daily life and in your work/company?
In my daily life, I try to apply innovation in several ways, but mainly by learning from others! I like to meet and get to know diverse people and I am always open to their ideas and perspectives to open my mind and inspire me. I also like to seek out new experiences and opportunities in order to learn new things.
At Vallformosa, innovation is part of our DNA and we work every day to ensure that it is transversal and forms part of the culture of all our employees. For this reason, we seek to encourage creativity, challenging our teams to think “out of the box” and seek new solutions to everyday problems.
Another key point for us is the customer/consumer. It is very important to listen and be attentive to customer needs in order to anticipate and add value. To do this, we encourage continuous learning, which allows us to keep up to date with the latest trends and technologies that help us understand and use them as tools to offer answers and solutions.
Why do you think collaborative innovation is important?
There are only advantages to collaborative innovation. There is greater creativity and diversity of ideas, while at the same time it gives you access to multiple knowledge and skills that together, add up. Joining forces and sharing synergies multiplies resources while giving you speed and improving efficiency. Additionally, involving multiple entities provides a much broader view and, therefore, can provide more innovative and effective solutions to the problems being addressed.
What should innovation look like to have impact?
For innovation to have impact, it has to contain the following elements:
- It solves a REAL problem. Ideas cannot just be abstract, they have to be implementable.
- That they offer a clear competitive advantage for the company.
- That there is a market for the solution to be launched.
- The solution must be scalable and sustainable over time.
- That the timing is appropriate
- That it has a positive impact on society and the environment.
“Innovating in a collaborative way has only advantages. There is greater creativity and diversity of ideas, while at the same time it gives you access to multiple knowledge and skills that together, add up”.
How do you imagine the future of the industrial ecosystem?
The future of the industrial ecosystem should evolve on two essential pillars: digitalisation and sustainability. The integration of digital technology in industry will continue to evolve, improving the efficiency and productivity of companies. Furthermore, the adoption of renewable energies and the promotion of the circular economy will accelerate in the future, generating a significant impact on the way in which resources are produced and used.
How do you think organisations should adapt to Industry 4.0?
I think it has to be a rigorous process. Before integrating digital technology, it is very important to be sure that the company is capable of doing so. By that, I mean verifying that the production processes are well defined and that they can be adapted or redefined to introduce digital technology. Also, that employees have the capacity and skills to use new technologies and that there is a culture of collaboration and data exchange between departments to improve the quality and availability of information and enable better decision making.
How can innovation contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible industry?
It is up to us to make it happen. Innovation has to be an engine to drive the development of clean technologies that contribute to reducing the environmental impact of industrial production, such as renewable energy, low-carbon technology and efficient waste management.
It also has to help optimise the use of resources, while at the same time lowering costs and environmental impact.
On the other hand, as manufacturers of finished products, we also have the mission to look for packaging alternatives with the aim of achieving more sustainable and responsible products for the planet while “rethinking” the “route to market”, looking for ways to minimise the carbon footprint.
What is INDPULS for you?
Innovating can be a very challenging job, as innovation in the industrial sector often involves the implementation of new technologies, processes and products that can require a large investment of resources, time, effort and even cultural and mindset challenges within the company that can make it difficult to move forward. Belonging to an innovation hub like INDPULS allows you, in some way, to dilute or even overcome these challenges by sharing experiences, co-creating and collaborating between the different organisations.
On the other hand, being part of INDPULS gives us the opportunity to be part of innovation initiatives that allow us to contribute to a more digitised, more efficient and, therefore, more sustainable and responsible industry with the planet. It is a true FUTURE initiative that we are proud to be part of!
