EIT InnoEnergy has signed a partnership agreement with MOL Group, under which both companies will carry out activities supporting the development of energy innovation.
The official signing of the document took place in Budapest on November 22 during the finals of the PowerUp! start-up competition, organized by EIT InnoEnergy Central Europe. MOL Group was the main sponsor of the competition.
MOL Group is a leading company in the oil and gas sector in Central Eastern Europe, while EIT InnoEnergy is Europe’s largest starter accelerator in the cleantech sector. The cooperation will include key areas for EIT InnoEnergy’s activities: education, innovative projects and business building services. MOL Group will become an active participant of the EIT InnoEnergy community, taking part in prestigious industry events, training programs, and prioritizing collaboration with innovators. For Jakub Miler, Chief Executive Officer of EIT InnoEnergy Central Europe and signatory to the agreement, the advantages are mutually beneficial:
‘Our start-ups gain direct access and the ability to work with a leading international player. MOL in turn invests in the largest open innovation platform in the cleantech sector in the world, with a particular focus on MOL’s strategic area of Central Eastern Europe’.
Zsolt Winkler, Head of the Open Innovation Hub, MOL Group, said about the cooperation: ‘Tapping the startup community is an essential step to achieve one of the main goals of our 2030 strategy: to become the first choice of customers. We believe that partnering with InnoEnergy will help become a vital part of the European innovation ecosystem, and we are excited to work together on future projects.’
‘MOL Group, one of the largest companies in CEE, joining forces with InnoEnergy, is another milestone for us this year. After Rafako it is another global player in Central Europe, which reiterates the ambition to contribute to the creation of new directions within the European market and the courage to play a leading role in the ongoing revolution in the global energy and mobility market’ added Jakub Miler.