We spoke with Carlos Ansareo, an innovation consultant with extensive experience in the technology sector. During his visit to Devol offices’, he shared with us his vision on the importance that innovation should have in companies.
Devol, What has been your professional career?
Carlos Ansareo: I have carried out different projects, both national and international abroad, in England and Holland, focused on innovation. For example, in England I participated in the creation of the first mobile-only digital bank. In Amsterdam I participated in intrapreneurship teams for the financial sector.
How is innovation viewed abroad?
CA: Innovation, seen from my experience abroad, is a more holistic innovation in which products and services are designed from the business strategy. Let’s say that four pillars are taken into account: business strategy, digital marketing, what would be growth hacking, of course the lever of technology and a fourth leg, which in this case would be people, cultural and organizational change.
Felipe Rebollo, Devol’s Commercial Director, and Carlos Ansareo.
How do you perceive the innovation taking place here?
CA: When I have come to establish myself here again in Bilbao, I have perceived that the innovation that is done here is a technological innovation more focused on the short term, more focused on efficiency improvements, on process improvements. The innovation that I have experienced, let’s say from my experience abroad, is more of a strategic innovation of business models, of knowing what your customer wants, of deep knowledge of your customer to develop those new products and services, and innovate with them.
Should innovation be subsidized?
CA: In the end, I see innovation as an investment. At the end of the day, investment also has a risk, which must be taken into account from the beginning, and which must be supported from the top management in all companies. You don’t have to be a big company, a large corporation, to be able to innovate. SMEs must, and have, the obligation to innovate in order to remain leaders in their markets. We need more innovative spirit and we need the management, the top management of the companies, to give that support. Either in terms of resources, human resources, financial resources, of course, which are also needed, in addition to subsidies.
