Efacec and INESC TEC have renewed the strategic partnership they have maintained for more than three decades, strengthening the cooperation that the two entities have in the field of energy systems.
The new programme contract, with an initial duration of three years and the possibility of renewal for a further two, establishes a stable platform for cooperation in the areas of advanced consultancy, research and development, technology transfer and advanced training.
With more than 75 years of experience in developing technology for the energy and mobility sectors, Efacec maintains a strong connection with the scientific and academic ecosystem, which has played a relevant role in its capacity for innovation. The collaboration with INESC TEC is one of the most consistent examples of this proximity, making it possible to combine scientific and technological knowledge with its industrial experience and presence in international markets.
This partnership has contributed to the development of technology subsequently integrated into Efacec solutions and applied in the operation of customers’ electrical grids in different geographies.
Examples of this collaboration include the software modules developed for Efacec’s Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS), which include functions such as power flow, state estimation, fault detection and network reconfiguration, contingency analysis, or voltage and reactive power control. The new contract ensures the maintenance, diagnosis and evolution of these modules, and paves the way for the development of new functionalities for the operation of energy distribution networks, renewable energy management, electric mobility and transport.
“This partnership allows us to bring research even closer to the industrial reality and to the concrete challenges of our customers. We want to transform knowledge and innovation into solutions with real application and impact in the market, while simultaneously strengthening capabilities in strategic areas for Efacec’s future, such as automation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence,” says Michael Silva, CEO of Efacec.
A collaboration model oriented towards the future
The programme contract creates a multi-year framework for the development of different joint initiatives, allowing Efacec and INESC TEC to define R&D projects according to technological developments, market needs and the challenges identified with customers.
The model also includes advanced technological consultancy, support in defining innovation roadmaps and training and capacity-building initiatives, including the possibility of developing PhDs in a collaborative context.
The partnership thus reinforces an approach that has marked Efacec’s history: promoting the connection between industry, science and academia to transform knowledge into technology with concrete application.
“Over the last three decades, the collaboration between the two institutions has resulted in technology that today is incorporated not only into Efacec’s own products, but is also in operation in customers’ electrical grids in several countries,” highlights João Claro, President and CEO of INESC TEC.
The signing of the contract was attended, on behalf of Efacec, by Michael Silva, CEO of the Group, Miguel Pereira Gomes, Chief Technology Officer, and Lourenço Antunes, Digital Products Technology Director and responsible for the execution of the contract. Representing INESC TEC were João Claro, President and CEO, Clara Gouveia, member of the Board of Directors, and Ricardo Bessa, Deputy to the Board of Directors and Coordinator in the Energy Systems area.
