Four years ago, Altice transformed PT Inovao into Altice Labs and affirmed its intention to make the innovation center in Aveiro the innovation development pole for the entire group, extending the model to other international operations and using the engineering and Portuguese creativity in the development of new products and services. Today Altice Labs marks the fourth anniversary and Alexandre Fonseca, CEO and President of Altice Portugal, guarantees that this is a winning bet, and to continue.
There is a deep satisfaction from me and the shareholders regarding the development of Altice Labs. it is a project of continuity and future in innovation in Portugal, said Alexandre Fonseca, in a meeting with journalists before the conference that marks the center's anniversary. Despite not advancing disaggregated billing numbers, the head of Altice Portugal says that Altice Labs already has 700 people and that more than half of the products and services developed at Altice Labs are for export, reaching 60 countries and more than 250 million customers around the world.
Recalling the institution's 70 years of history, which has been in Aveiro since 1950 and which has a relevant symbolism, Alexandre Fonseca says that this is an extraordinarily important and fundamental project in Altice's strategy in Portugal. In 2018, the company invested the most in innovation in Portugal, with 86 million euros, a work very close to universities, investing in laboratories and projects, with direct funding from academic research and with business application.
Today Altice Labs is recognized by the public and universities for technological innovation and this has to do with the work of Portuguese engineering, which is recognized at the international level, says Alexandre Fonseca.
Altice Labs will arrive in Oeiras with a new hub
The company has been expanding the steel field of Altice Labs and the company already has projects in 60 countries, with 20 new markets conquered in the last year, from the Fiji Islands to Mali and Chile. But the growth is also due to the expansion of the Altice Labs hubs in Portugal, an expansion project that began two years ago and which already has laboratories installed in Viseu, Madeira, Olho and Terceira Island. Oeiras is now added to this list, with the signing of a protocol with the Municipal Chamber of Oeiras, which is a first step towards the installation of an innovation center in Tagus Park.
This is a project that marks the territory, says Alexandre Fonseca, referring that the impact of the Altice Labs hubs is felt in companies around the world and in the creation of startups and accelerating innovation. In all locations, a partnership is made with higher education institutions and this growth of the Labs network is also a bet that allows attracting the best engineers and fixing them in these locations.
In Viseu, the Altice Labs hub already has 20 people and in Madeira 7 people, while the other locations are still under development, and the expectation for Oeiras is positive, not least because of the location in the capital and in an area where Altice itself has facilities and more than 800 people.
