4.4 Innovation and Management of Knowledge

We carried out the planned activities of phase III for the expansion of the IDEAS INNOVADORAS project. We worked on the training of an innovation Community made up of forty people from a variety of areas and dependencies of the company, who have received training on tools to propel the company's innovation.

The Community meets monthly and offers support in the analysis of topics/problems/processes through the application of innovation tools in order to aid in creating alternatives that can be implemented.

We defined the basis for the work and reach of the Community, we delved into the methodology and started collaborating on specific projects. In particular, in December we carried out an activity to create alternatives for the Valentino project (management and sales of fuel vouchers) and for the tax return to artisanal fishermen in order to broaden the spectrum of possible solutions for the problems they face.

Within the plans for the expansion stage of IDEAS INNOVADORAS, we carried out a training course for innovation coaches. In it, another eleven people were trained in Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT) and we carried out a creativity activity within the Strategic Planning Management.

We continued the development of a relationship network with several organizations with the goal of bringing new abilities to the company as well as promoting the development of knowledge on a country level on topics of strategic interest for ANCAP. In that respect, we continued to coordinate research activities with the University of the Republic, following up on the ongoing projects, some of which finished this year.

In June, the “Encuentro con Universidades Privadas” (meet up with private universities) took place. Here, some of the specific work abilities and potential of ORT University, Universidad Católica del Uruguay and Universidad de Montevideo that can be developed together with ANCAP were presented by their representatives.

We broadened the relationship with the academy and research centers by signing a framework agreement with the National Institute of Farming Research.

We continued to support the Sectorial Energy Fund created through the National Investigation and Innovation Agency by providing funds and being part of its Schedule Committee. We took part in the proposal of topics to be researched and the selection of projects to be financed.

As for the participation in the National Investigation and Innovation System, we continued to represent the State Bodies in the National Commission of Science, Technology and Innovation.