The Galp Retail Lab – which aims to combine technology, talent and industry to explore future solutions for energy retail – was inaugurated on Tuesday 8 July at Técnico – Oeiras Campus. In this space, members of the company and Técnico professors and students can work together to test technological solutions for petrol stations in a digitally simulated environment.
At the opening session, João Diogo Marques da Silva, CEO at Galp, emphasised the importance of bringing experimentation closer to academia, saying that ‘the future is not just theory; it is also the ability to transform theory into practical applications’. According to the CEO, the installation of the Retail Lab within a university setting represents a new phase of collaboration that closely aligns with the company’s daily operations.
Rogério Colaço, President of Técnico, reinforced this idea by recalling the school’s mission – since it was founded in 1911 – which is deeply connected to training individuals for economic development. He highlighted the role of strategic partnerships with companies like Galp, which he considers ‘excellent’, emphasising the value of mutual support: talent and knowledge from both sides converge to create new and relevant solutions.
This partnership – also represented by Galp’s integration into Técnico Partner Network – has led to various initiatives within Técnico’s ecosystem, as mentioned by Pedro Amaral, the vice-president of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, when he referred to the TecInnov awards and innovation challenges launched by Galp for students. He described this partnership as more than just institutional, emphasising a shared ambition and a commitment to growing together.
Joana Mendonça, the vice-president of Técnico for Oeiras Campus, reflected on a vision that was developed years ago with her colleagues on the board, which has now come to fruition. ‘It takes courage to step outside the doors of institutions and make room for others’ – in this case, Galp – to create solutions together and challenge both students and professors to engage in new ideas and co-creation models.
The technical presentation of the space was given by Catarina Ceitil, Chief Information Officer at Galp, who explained how the Galp Retail Lab digitally replicates a petrol station, allowing for new technological solutions to be tested safely and continuously. This laboratory is essential to ensure that innovations developed do not interfere with the company’s real operations.
Ana Casaca, Global Director of Innovation at Galp, described the partnership with Técnico as a concrete example of effective collaboration between academia and industry, highlighting the rapid transformation of ideas into reality and the importance of this dynamism for the country.
Nuno Pedras, Chief Digital Officer at Galp, added a personal touch to the session by revealing that the creation of the laboratory was driven by an urgent need to move out of the Lisbon facilities. “Only through close and flexible collaboration was it possible to inaugurate the space in such a short time”, he noted.
After the official inauguration, which was led by João Diogo Marques da Silva and Rogério Colaço, participants visited the space and observed technical demonstrations. The Retail Lab aims to be more than just a testing site; it seeks to become a meeting point for developing solutions with a direct impact on the energy sector.
