Odebrecht invited to USP´s Master´s degree in inovation opening class

On June 11, Odebrecht attended the event marking the inaugural class of ConstruInova, the Professional Master’s in Innovation in Civil Construction, at the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo. The company was represented by the Innovation Manager, Daniel Lepikson, who participated as a speaker.

Held in the same building that houses USP’s Civil Engineering course, the event also featured two former students of the program, Rafael de Pádua and Giovanni Bruno Schiffini, who respectively addressed the topics “New methodology for evaluating real estate assets subject to remodeling and reuse, based on the potential financial return on investment” and “Development of an AI algorithm for identifying and classifying damages in highway pavements.” The course program has a specific focus on innovation in civil construction and Industry 4.0, topics addressed by Daniel during on the opportunity.

In his speech, Lepikson raised the discussion on how to innovate in the heavy construction industry. For him, due to being a very traditional sector, the process of introducing new technologies is slower and more difficult. To prove his thesis, he used the results of a 2017 McKinsey consuntancy research , on how to improve productivity. The study states that the construction sector faces a chronic productivity problem, growing only 1% per year in the previous two decades, far below other sectors. The report proposes seven areas of action, involving digitization, process reengineering, and workforce training, which can increase productivity by up to 60%. If implemented, these changes could generate $1.6 trillion in added value, meeting half of the global infrastructure demand.

The opportunity also served to present Odebrecht’s Innovation Journey, from the creation of the OEC IN program in 2019, the company’s entry into the Inovabra Habitat Hub, Bradesco’s initiative to accelerate innovation, in 2020, ending with the presentation of the most recent edition of the e-book “Building Innovation,” with all the lessons learned throughout the production process.

“Participation in events like this is extremely important, especially when promoted by institutions of excellence, such as USP. In addition to publicizing the company’s Innovation actions in the market – a fundamental pillar of our strategy – it is an excellent opportunity to update ourselves on the latest trends and ongoing research, and to explore new connections and partnerships. Additionally, we consider it noble to contribute to the training of young engineers and future masters of the ConstruInova program, organized by the Civil Construction Department of Poli. This valuable opportunity reflects the growing approchement between our Innovation area and the Polytechnic School, a long-term partnership that is beginning to yield results,” he says.

Partnership between Odebrecht and USP

Since March last year, Odebrecht has maintained a partnership with USP’s Junior Company (Poli Júnior). The action aims at the exchange of knowledge between the organizations, representing a closer approach of Odebrecht to the university environment.

Poli Júnior is the largest Junior Company in Brazil. Formed by about 180 students from different engineering courses at USP’s Polytechnic School, it provides services in the segments of Architecture and Civil Construction, Technology and Innovation, Business Management and Consulting, and Intelligence and Data Analysis. With more than 34 years of operation, Poli Júnior has already executed more than a thousand projects, being a non-profit institution managed by Poli students themselves with the support of the school’s faculty.

The partnership includes, on Odebrecht’s part, the presentation of project case studies, visits to ongoing works, knowledge exchange in the area of Innovation, presentations related to People Management and Leadership, as well as voluntary mentoring to Poli Júnior members.