Susana Prado, general director of Inetum in Catalonia and president of the 22@ Network Barcelona, analyzes the impact of the Industrial Doctorate Plan at her technology consultancy. She highlights how the program has served to formalize internal innovation, bring university research closer to the real world, and generate international connections of great strategic value.
Susana Prado , general director of Inetum in Catalonia and president of the 22@ Network Barcelona , analyzes the impact of the Industrial Doctorate Plan at her technology consultancy. She highlights how the program has served to formalize internal innovation, bring university research closer to the real world, and generate international connections of great strategic value.
Susana Prado's statement in the title of this interview (“ All companies should have an industrial doctorate ”) is based on the company's direct experience with Industrial Doctorates. Inetum has participated in a strategic research project, developed by doctoral student Daniel López Fernández in close collaboration with the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF).
The objective of this project was to analyze how a large technology consultancy, in the midst of the digital revolution, could optimize its innovation strategy. Given the need to adapt and lead the market, the challenge was to define a practical model to explore, design and implement innovation actions that are truly integrated into the overall business strategy. The result of the doctoral thesis has been the creation of a methodological framework for sustainable competitive development. The research found that many organizations treat innovation as a tactical and short-term effort, instead of a coherent strategic initiative. This project has allowed Inetum to shorten the distance between theory and practice, defining its own innovation strategy, structured and aligned with the company's central objectives, capable of integrating disruptive technologies such as generative artificial intelligence.
"It's not about innovating just to make more money, but about innovating to have a positive impact and transform businesses."
– As general director of Inetum in Catalonia, how does the Industrial Doctorate fit into your activity? What expectations did you have and what impacts have you seen now that it has ended?
– As a technology consultancy that always wants to be at the forefront, we have an innovation department that works intensively with the commercial teams and the technological areas. One person from the team in Barcelona, Dani López, had the idea of doing a doctorate to bring the innovation we were already doing as a company closer to more formal research led by universities.
I thought it was a great idea because, in this way, you formalize and make your innovation visible, bringing it closer to the powerful infrastructures that we have in the territory, such as universities and technology centers. Their study was on a topic that we are passionate about: the implementation of innovation within the business processes that we offer to clients. We thought it was a wonderful idea and we said yes from the start.
– How do you evaluate the experience now that it has ended?
– We are very happy. It has been almost two years of meetings, innovation and also an international stay that brought us a lot of value. Not only from a knowledge point of view, but also from a connections point of view. Now, in any project, our industrial doctoral student can offer us contacts with MIT or Harvard, and this greatly enriches the company and the rest of the professionals.
– Do you consider that the Industrial Doctorate gives you a differential value compared to the competition?
– I think so. We already considered ourselves an innovative company, but now we have a much more multifaceted and holistic vision. That is why we are already focusing the next industrial doctorates on very specific areas, looking for technology transfer with universities and researchers who want to apply the research to the company.
It has been a very good experience and we will continue to promote it. However, I believe that industrial doctorates are a discipline that is very little known to the rest of the companies in the sector, and it is worth giving them visibility because they are the way we all pursue to make real technology transfer and bring companies and universities closer together.
– What have been the key elements for this smooth collaboration with the university?
– The University has made it very easy: from choosing the topic that interested us, to holding the meetings, the follow-ups and facilitating the fact of combining the world of work, because the doctoral student continues to work in the company, with the research and its demands. Everything has been very flexible and easy. Honestly, there has been no negative impact; everything is positive.
"[The Industrial Doctorate] is the way we all pursue to make real technology transfer and bring companies and universities closer together."
– From a strategic point of view, how do you value scientific publications derived from research?
– For us it is an additional point. We are a company and our goal is to make money to continue growing in staff and business. But linking the brand to research and publications in prestigious journals, as we have been able to enjoy, is very important. In the end, it is not about innovating just to make more money, but about innovating to have a positive impact, transforming businesses and visions, and ensuring that technology brings real value to people.
– Why would you recommend other companies to do an industrial doctorate?
– I think that all companies should have an industrial doctorate, at least, within their structure. It enriches you, gives you a much more innovative vision and gives you the vision of the university and real research, which is on another level. At the same time, universities also need to be in contrast with the real world, because sometimes research is done on things whose applicability or impact on society or business is not well known. This way of collaborating is fundamental and enriching for the university, for the person doing the doctorate and for the company.
