As an essential part of the range of actions geared towards managing innovation at Abengoa, the R&D assessment process is intended to help achieve the company’s strategic objectives while at the same time minimizing risks linked to R&D+i project investment decisions.

In this regard, the first steps were taken in 2010 by devising a common, company-wide methodology to enable quantification of R&D+i at Abengoa, both in economic terms and in terms of value creation. In 2011, R&D was evaluated throughout the company by applying this methodology to Abengoa’s R&D programs.

The overriding aim of this exercise is to provide useful information in order to enhance the quality of strategic R&D+i investment decisions, introducing qualitative and quantitative aspects, and taking into account the entire range of criteria that should affect the final decision.

R&D assessment involves reflecting on essential issues related to company strategy: how defined programs fit in with strategy, how projects and programs are aligned, or the way in which risk is diversified. It also enables analysis of the viability of the different lines of work, with costs and returns considered globally. This allows Abengoa to identify the impact of R&D on the company’s present results and on its short-, medium- and long-term projections.