Investing in innovation and development is a daily activity for EPAL, which seeks to foster corporate innovation, rewarding the in-house development of projects that contribute to the efficiency and efficacy of the company’s processes and operations. In order to enhance and promote the EPAL brand in the water sector, the company created the EPALin competition which in 2013 received 12 entries.

The prize was awarded simultaneously to the projects “Common rail de água motriz” (Motive water common rail) and “Dispositivo de Fecho Automático de Recipientes de Cloro” (Automatic shut-off device for chlorine receptacles).

Three honourable mentions were made to the entries: “Máquina semi-automática para Retificação de Roscas de Ligação dos Contadores de Água à Tubagem” (Semi-automatic machine to correct thread connections of water meters to pipes), “Sacatampas” (cap remover) and “Water-QI - Quick Investments in Water Network”.

The 2nd edition of the competition, EPALin 2014 Innovation Prize, is now under way. The company has invited all employees to take part; the deadline for submitting entries closed on 31 July.

In addition to this in-house initiative, and embodying the goal of R&D and INNOVATION, in 2013 several projects were developed that are a stake by EPAL in corporate research and development, creating new opportunities and challenges in a company that constantly invests in the innovation of products and services and in technological development. These projects are described in the Annual Report and in the Sustainability Report 2013.

The challenges faced by EPAL will continue in years to come and have provided opportunities for greater efficiency, technological competence and the capacity to innovate, which lead to value creation.

2013 set a historical record of prizes awarded to EPAL: