Diversity in the innovation ecosystem goes beyond a commitment to sustainability or an ESG objective. Integrating different perspectives into decision-making helps build more resilient organisations, enrich innovation processes and generate new growth opportunities for startups.
This is one of the main ideas that shaped the participation of Óscar García, Head of Corporate Venturing & Ecosystem at Elewit, in the IV SpainCap Event and EJE&CON Board Member Programme. The event brought together representatives from private capital, the business sector and the third sector to reflect on the role of diversity in Corporate Venture Capital and on how corporations can contribute more effectively to the growth and scaling of startups.
During the roundtable discussion, which also featured Lourdes Álvarez de Toledo, partner at JME Ventures and Vice President of SpainCap, and Ana Irlán, Head of ESG and Sustainability at Fundación Integra, different perspectives were shared on the challenges and opportunities posed by incorporating diversity into organisations and investment processes. The session was moderated by José Zudaire, Managing director of SpainCap, and Natividad Sierra, an independent board member specialising in Private Equity.
One of the main topics addressed was the need to move from a commitment to diversity to the adoption of concrete measures that enable progress and the evaluation of results. To achieve this, it is essential for organisations to incorporate clear objectives and monitoring mechanisms, supported by indicators that make it possible to measure progress and, where possible, facilitate comparison between organisations.
In this regard, boards of directors play a relevant role in integrating diversity into strategy and decision-making. Investors and corporations can also help drive real change, both through their own practices and through their relationships with the companies and projects in which they participate.
The conversation also highlighted the value of collaboration between the different players in the ecosystem. The connection between private capital, large corporations and social organisations makes it possible to complement capabilities, share experiences and broaden development opportunities for startups.
In this context, Óscar García highlights the importance of incorporating different perspectives into innovation processes: “Diversity of perspectives is an opportunity to enrich innovation. Connecting corporations and startups with different experiences and capabilities allows us to broaden the way we identify challenges and seek solutions.”
At Elewit, as Redeia’s technology platform, we work to connect business challenges with entrepreneurial talent and the players in the innovation ecosystem, facilitating collaboration between corporations and startups to drive the development and application of new technological solutions. This work reflects a vision of open innovation that seeks to connect capabilities, generate opportunities for collaboration and transform the challenges of the energy sector into solutions with real impact.
The event provided an opportunity to share experiences and reflections on how to move towards a more inclusive, diverse and connected entrepreneurial ecosystem, in which collaboration between organisations helps broaden opportunities for innovation and foster the growth of startups.