Innovation News
Launch of the Católica Centre for Thriving Futures
On April 10th, Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, in collaboration with Galp, officially launched the Católica Centre for Thriving Futures. Bringing together the Business School, the School of Biotechnology, and the School of Law, the Centre embraces an interdisciplinary mission: to accelerate sustainable solutions through innovation and collaboration between academia, industry, and society. With Galp as a founding partner, the Centre positions itself as a driver of systemic change, fostering applied research and real-world impact across sustainability, policy, technology, and business.
Ana Casaca, Global Director of Innovation at Galp, delivered the keynote address, where she emphasized the critical importance of stronger collaboration between businesses and academic institutions in advancing sustainable and competitive solutions. While acknowledging current efforts, she stressed the need to go further and use the Centre as a key platform to deepen cooperation. She expressed pride in Galp’s role as a founding member and issued a call to action for other companies to join this shared mission.
During the panel discussion titled “The Role of Innovation in Building Thriving Futures”, Manuel Andrade, (Head of Open Innovation at Galp) highlighted the complexity of procurement processes in both public and private sectors as a major barrier to implementing innovative and sustainable solutions. His remarks underscored the Centre’s value in helping to overcome these systemic obstacles and in turning promising ideas into impactful action.
The launch of the Católica Centre for Thriving Futures marks a significant step forward in uniting academic knowledge with real-world challenges. By fostering collaboration across disciplines and sectors, the Centre aims to become a hub for transformative innovation, helping shape a more sustainable and regenerative future for all.
