This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives the voice to Filipa Monteiro Martins, Renewables Innovation Unit Manager at the Portuguese energy company Galp. She says inclusion is a crucial driver for long-term business success and innovation, especially in the renewable energy sector, where the ability to adapt and evolve is critical.
Innovation has been a key driver of recent progress in the renewable energy sector, reducing costs and improving the capabilities of key technologies such as solar panels and electric vehicles, as well as improving energy efficiency. The term renewable innovation refers to the development and implementation of new technologies, processes and strategies to improve the use of renewable energy.
Like other areas of innovation, renewable innovation often follows McKinsey’s Three Horizons Framework. Horizon 1 focuses on short-term improvements to existing technologies (e.g. test solutions to improve operational efficiency of assets), Horizon 2 concerns developing medium-term opportunities with emerging technologies or solutions (e.g. agrivoltaic solar energy), and Horizon 3 examines the long term. high-impact innovations that could transform the energy landscape (e.g. disruptive cell technologies such as perovskite solar cells). This framework provides guidance for balancing existing priorities with long-term growth opportunities.
Amid the current challenges in the renewable sector, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are mandatory pillars to succeed as they promote a range of thinking that is crucial to finding new and disruptive solutions. Teamwork is also an important aspect of sustainable innovation. When team members feel valued and respected, they are more likely to take risks and propose bold ideas – an essential part of innovation. The 2024 Hunt Scanlon DEI report highlights that inclusion is a critical driver of long-term business success and innovation, especially in industries like ours where the ability to adapt and evolve is critical.Hunt Scanlon Media). Similarly, a recent study from the Boston Consulting Group (2024) highlights that diverse leadership teams are 45% more likely to report market share growth compared to less diverse peers, underscoring the business value of diversity in driving innovation.BCG Global).
Innovation can be deterred by cognitive biases, such as groupthink, which is more common in identical teams. Embracing intersectionality – the interconnection of social categories such as gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality and education – promotes an inclusive culture and ensures that every team member feels empowered to contribute with their unique insights, driving innovative, effective problem solving and better adoption of solutions. Promoting diversity creates an environment in which different ideas and viewpoints are explored, potentially leading to more robust and original solutions. The 2024 Elsevier report on gender diversity in research supports this by revealing that diverse teams can produce more innovative and impactful research results, in line with the ultimate goals of energy innovation.Digital Commons data).
For anyone entering the sustainable sector, it is critical to understand the importance of continuous learning and adaptability due to rapid changes in technologies and regulations. Building a collaborative network with colleagues from different backgrounds promotes innovation because it brings different perspectives. Resilience is just as important, along with seeking out mentors for inspiration and guidance. Thus, embracing diversity and collaboration not only promotes innovation, but also prepares individuals to navigate and succeed in this dynamic field.
Filipa Monteiro Martins is Unit Manager Renewables Innovation Unit at Galp, where she leads initiatives that drive the development and implementation of advanced renewable energy technologies. With expertise in large-scale renewable energy generation, including solar and wind energy, she focuses on improving the performance of renewable assets. Her work also includes advancing flexibility technologies to better integrate and use renewable energy, along with exploring innovative developments such as agrivoltaics. Before this position, Filipa led the implementation of photovoltaic projects throughout Iberia, where she oversaw large-scale solar installations and contributed to the expansion of Galp’s solar capacity. Before moving to the sustainable sector, Filipa gained extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, including a key role as a secondment at Eni, with a focus on technical and contractual interface management, and previous positions at Galp. With a diverse background across different energy sectors, Filipa brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to promoting innovation and inclusivity in renewable energy. Filipa holds an Executive MBA from Lisbon MBA Nova-Católica, an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, and an MSc in Civil Engineering from FEUP.
Interested in participating Filipa Martins and other female leaders and industry experts at Women in Solar Europe? More information: www.wiseu.network
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