CUF and the EIC: how a Portuguese health operator looks to startups for efficiency, sustainability and new services
- ›CUF, part of Grupo José de Mello, co-hosted an EIC Multicorporate Day on 6 July to scout innovations across customer experience, operations, sustainability, mental health and chronic disease management.
- ›Pedro Lucena e Valle, Director at CUF, oversees maintenance, hospitality and sterile supplies for Lisbon area hospitals and clinics and is seeking solutions in waste management, IoT maintenance and local electricity production.
- ›CUF is open to multiple partnership formats including pilots, testing agreements and equity investments but stresses the need for regulatory compliance and operational fit in a health context.
- ›The EIC relationship gives CUF curated access to innovators outside the core health sector that can provide transferable solutions for hospital operations.
CUF and the EIC: scanning for practical innovations to cut costs and raise service levels
On 6 July 2023 the European Innovation Council ran a Multicorporate Day with CUF and partners from the José de Mello Group. Seventeen EIC-supported beneficiaries presented pitches across five themes including Customer Experience, Operational Efficiency, Sustainability, Mental Health and Chronic Disease Management. After the event the EIC Community interviewed Pedro Lucena e Valle, Director at CUF, to understand what the corporate is actually looking for and how it approaches open innovation.
Who is CUF and how is innovation organised inside the group
CUF is a nationwide private health operator in Portugal and a major company within Grupo José de Mello. It runs hospitals, clinics and health centres across the country. The group describes innovation as a strategic pillar, but at CUF innovation is directed first and foremost to improve service delivery and operational resilience rather than chasing novelty for its own sake.
Practical innovation needs: hospitality, maintenance and sterile supplies
CUF frames open innovation in very practical terms. In hospitality the emphasis is on efficiency without degrading the patient experience. That covers food supply and the organisation of food preparation, but also laundry, waste management, cleaning, security and vending. Maintenance is an internal service focus that must keep medical equipment and facilities available, compliant and ready for clinical use. The sterile supplies operation is a logistics and quality assurance challenge that supports multiple hospitals and clinics.
Why CUF works with the EIC and what it expects from startups
CUF sees the EIC as a curated channel to meet innovators and suppliers that it would not otherwise find. The corporate values the EIC’s strategic position in innovation ecosystems and the cross-sector exposure it provides. During the Multicorporate Day, CUF met startups addressing operational efficiency, customer experience, sustainability and health-focused services.
The interview includes a concrete example where CUF installed a startup's waste processing equipment in a hospital to allow testing and to support licensing activities. This shows CUF is willing to provide testbeds when the solution addresses a clear operational need.
Specific technology areas flagged as priorities
| Area | CUF focus | Example uses or solutions sought |
| Waste management | Reduce costs and environmental impact | Onsite waste processing, segregation technologies, closed loop systems for clinical and non clinical waste |
| IoT and predictive maintenance | Increase equipment uptime and compliance | Sensor networks for condition monitoring, predictive analytics, asset tracking |
| Electricity production and energy efficiency | Local generation and energy recovery | Solar panels, heat recovery from hot water systems, combined heat and power for hospitals |
| Hospitality services | Efficiency while preserving patient experience | Optimised food supply chains, automation in laundry and cleaning workflows, vending and logistics |
| Sterilisation logistics | Traceability and quality control | Automation in sterilisation centres, process digitalisation, supply chain coordination |
| Patient-facing innovations | Experience and chronic disease management | Digital tools for mental health, teleconsultations, pathway optimisation |
How CUF assesses fit and what it cautions startups about
CUF looks for companies that can demonstrate operational value and regulatory readiness. For hospitals the bar is higher than in many other sectors because patient safety, hygiene and statutory compliance are non negotiable. Even apparently benign solutions such as waste processing or on site energy systems must pass regulatory checks and integrate with clinical workflows.
Benefits of engaging with the EIC from a corporate perspective
For CUF the EIC acts as a matchmaking and discovery layer that widens the pool of potential partners. The EIC exposes corporates to innovations from other sectors like hospitality or energy that can translate into hospital efficiencies. This cross pollination is valuable because many operational challenges in hospitals are shared with other large facilities.
Practical advice for startups that want to work with CUF
Pedro Lucena e Valle encourages companies to reach out rather than wait. CUF covers a broad set of operational domains so startups from outside the immediate health technology field may still find a fit. Demonstrating a clear use case, readiness to run a controlled pilot and an awareness of health sector regulations will improve chances of engagement.
What this means for the broader EU innovation ecosystem
This case illustrates a pragmatic path for corporates and startups to collaborate in the EU. Large operators in regulated sectors such as health are useful testbeds but not easy partners. The EIC helps bridge that gap by organising pitching days and curated matchmaking. For startups the opportunity is real, but they must adapt to the health sector's risk and compliance constraints if they want to scale inside hospital networks.
Corporates like CUF can speed up innovation adoption when they offer pilot access and procurement pathways. However the transactional and regulatory complexity means many pilots will remain small unless solutions clearly reduce operating costs or improve patient safety in measurable ways.
Next steps and where to engage
Startups interested in connecting with large European corporates should monitor EIC Business Acceleration Services events and the EIC Multicorporate Day calendar. CUF and similar health operators prefer initial contact that explains the concrete operational problem being solved, proposed pilot scope and evidence of safety or regulatory compliance.
This article is based on an EIC Community interview published on 25 July 2023 and on public information about CUF and the EIC. The details reflect the priorities and examples shared by Pedro Lucena e Valle during the conversation.