Portugal as a benchmark in organizational sustainability

As digitalization has accelerated during the pandemic, Portuguese Asset & Facility Management specialist NextBITT has doubled its growth, both in terms of turnover and staff. Miguel Salgueiro, founding partner, explains to Smart Cities how the technology developed by the company has helped organizations reduce their carbon footprint. Convinced that Portugal has "strong possibilities of being at the forefront of Europe" in this area, the manager advocates the creation of a "Sustainability" area for the new government and a "policy for the accelerated implementation of projects" in the various sectors.

How do you assess the way in which organizational ecosystems in Portugal look at the issue of sustainability?

Sustainability, the new digital of organizations, has been creating a strong dynamic, an increasingly environmental culture, a whole new strategy in the different industries, based on ESG - Environmental, Social and Governance.

This [is a] new paradigm for companies [which] under the legislation published in the European community are subject to the obligation to publish a "non-financial statement", with evidence of the data in the sustainability report, coming [for example] from sensor connections to NextBITT technology, developing good business practices oriented towards the rational, efficient and sustainable use of resources, where the implementation and maintenance of the EMS - Environmental Management System is crucial.

I believe that Portugal has a strong chance of being at the forefront of Europe in terms of the good practices of organizations in terms of sustainability in the next few years, given that there are already a huge number of public and private companies, associations and consultancies that are very focused on this issue, in which technology is the key element in sustainability management.

What effects has the pandemic had on this area in general and on your business in particular?

The pandemic has abruptly accelerated the focus on digitizing companies. During the pandemic, NextBITT has more than doubled its growth, both in terms of turnover and staff. It should be noted that the fact that we have several clients in the banking sector - a sector [which is] at the forefront of ESG adoption, with a strong commitment to carbon neutrality evidence - has also led to a decisive focus on our commitment to the digitalization of sustainability, also due to the fact that it is mandatory throughout the European community.

By way of example, the EMS module simplifies environmental compliance and sustainability reporting throughout the organization in a top-down view, from departments and infrastructures to physical assets. This solution guarantees the management of the carbon footprint calculation, based on all physical asset management information: metrics for energy quality, water, gas, fossil fuels and tracking of hazardous waste produced, as well as the indoor environment of buildings.

The national smart cities market has been consolidating. How is NextBITT positioning itself in this area and what opportunities do you see associated with it?

NextBITT is committed to sustainability in order to become an international benchmark within five years. Cities - in addition to the thousands of physical assets that we already help to manage on a daily basis in the largest companies - are no exception to our strategy of continuous growth. We believe that sustainability will also help digitize cities, with an integrated vision and management of their territories, in terms of water consumption, electricity, gas, waste management, etc. The added value of NextBITT technology is that it already natively brings together these and other valences, in terms of managing the useful life cycle of physical assets.

"I think it's important that strategies are created to avoid exclusive dependence on certain products or services. I'd like all this uncertainty we've been experiencing to lead to a more united and cohesive Europe and for Portugal to play an important role in this change."

Can your solutions be applied to local government?

Our] technology applies to different industries in a physical asset management logic. Our team has developed several projects that aim to control our clients' equipment and facilities that are either geographically dispersed or gathered in the same facility - both in terms of cost control and the operational aspect of the availability and operation of each piece of equipment.

Today, we are beginning to see a strong concern on the part of the Portuguese state with the management of its assets, which, for NextBITT, is an excellent opportunity to support the state in adopting good international practices in the management of physical assets.

Do you have projects in the public sector?

NextBITT has some projects in the public sector, although in recent years our focus has been more on the private sector. We believe that by 2022, largely through innovation projects under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), the state will have a strong digital development, improving processes.

In terms of asset management with a view to sustainability, what could local government learn from the private sector and vice versa?

Once the vision has been defined, with regard to the careful management of state assets - which has already been mentioned a few times by different government leaders in recent years, as teleworking has also highlighted the need to manage remotely - it is necessary to have a careful register of assets. Here, the private sector is a little more advanced, so it's easier to replicate this management in the public sector - you just have to want to! Buildings are the same in the state as they are in the private sector!

The international context has made a post-pandemic recovery difficult. What risks and opportunities do you see in the current situation?

We've been living in uncertainty since the beginning of the pandemic; we're entering the third year of this tragic situation, but we can't give up, [nor] lower our arms. We have to focus and unite, sometimes taking advantage of some impasse to improve our organizations, processes, streamlining and innovating.

I think it's important to create strategies to avoid exclusive dependence on certain products or services. I'd like all this uncertainty we've been experiencing to lead to a more united and cohesive Europe and for Portugal to play an important role in this change.

We have a new executive. What do you hope will be done to strengthen the theme of sustainability both in companies and in the public sector?

I believe that the new Executive has excellent conditions to make the issue of sustainability as dynamic as possible in the country. It has young and experienced leaders who are attentive to the issue and who have been taking part in actions to raise awareness of it.

It seems important to me that the Executive should have a "Sustainability" area, as is already the case in the private sector, increasing its focus and dynamics, based on a common vision and policy for all organizations. In fact, it's enough to replicate what the European community has already legislated. The Executive could have a policy for the accelerated implementation of sustainability projects in the different sectors, making Portugal a European benchmark!

Source: Smart Cities