Lactalis-Puleva and the University of Granada launch a pioneering chair in Spain for the promotion of internal innovation.
Pedro Mercado, Rector of the University of Granada, and David Saliot, General Director of Lactalis Puleva, announced in Granada the launch of a pioneering project to promote intrapreneurship and innovation capabilities. Following a meeting of the executive teams of both organizations, both leaders announced that the project will be developed through the establishment of the “Lactalis Puleva – University of Granada Chair for Intrapreneurship and Innovation.” The Chair will be directed by Juan Alberto Aragón Correa, Professor of Business Organization, and will have a monitoring team composed of representatives from both organizations. This Chair is the first in Spain focused on this topic and will also be an international reference in this field.
The leaders of Lactalis Puleva and the University of Granada have highlighted that both organizations share common characteristics that enhance the potential of their collaboration. On one hand, the leadership of both organizations in their respective activities is based on their internal capacity for innovation. Saliot emphasized that Lactalis Puleva distinguishes itself from its competitors by having a significant portion of its business based on internally developed innovative products that address dietary needs while paying special attention to health aspects. In turn, Pedro Mercado emphasized the University of Granada’s leading position in international rankings thanks to its researchers’ ability to lead research and advanced projects in multiple fields of knowledge. Finally, both leaders emphasized that both organizations carry out most of their operations from Granada, having a significant positive impact on their immediate territory, which they aim to continue enhancing.
The programs of the newly established Chair aim to leverage the experience of executives and professors to help undergraduate and postgraduate students identify the advantages and tools related to organizational innovation. The methodologies employed to achieve these objectives will also be original, in line with those commonly used in the University of Granada’s Talent Incubator, where the Chair will be based. All programs will be completely free for the selected participants and, in some cases, may even include paid internships and employment opportunities.
The ultimate aspiration of Lactalis Puleva and the University of Granada is that participants in the Chair’s programs can advance their professional careers, opening pathways for their incorporation into either of the two organizations or others where innovation values are also relevant. Promoting high-quality professional careers in a local environment and ensuring that these careers have a positive impact on the region has been highlighted by Mercado and Saliot as an integral part of what the company and university have been doing and now intend to further promote through the Chair’s establishment.
Meeting was attended by a qualified representation of both organizations who discussed details about the Chair’s activities. From Lactalis Puleva, in addition to its General Director, Sonia Rodríguez Muriel, Director of Human Resources, and Jorge Oliva, Communication Manager, were present and will lead the company’s participation in the Chair. Furthermore, Estefanía Moreno, Director of Key Account Sales, and María Reyes, HR Business Partner, also attended the meeting and will lead the monitoring of the Chair’s activities. On behalf of the University of Granada, in addition to its Rector and the Chair’s Director, Esteban Romero, Vice-Rector for Social Innovation, Employability, and Entrepreneurship, Antonio Marín, Director of Sponsorship and Patronage, Carlos Centeno, Director of the Communications Office, and Lola Vidal, Associate Professor of Business Organization and co-Director of the University of Granada’s Talent Incubator, actively participated in the meeting. All attendees emphasized that the establishment of this pioneering agreement and the Chair itself represent an example of intrapreneurship in two organizations capable of developing innovative collaborative initiatives with a positive social and management impact.