Damm invests more than 618 M euros in innovation and industrial facilities in the last 10 years
Octavi Martí, Operations Manager at Damm; Laura Gil, Chief Digital and Data Officer at Damm; and Jofre Riera, Sponsorship Manager at Damm, reflect on how to innovate a 150-year-old company at the round table "Damm: 150 years of innovation done right"
"No company survives 150 years without innovating" was the main conclusion reached by Octavi Marti, Operations Manager at Damm; Laura Gil, Chief Digital and Data Officer at Damm; and Jofre Riera, Sponsorship Manager at Damm, at the round table "Damm: 150 years of innovation done right", which was held today at the Mobile World Capital Barcelona stand, as part of MWC Barcelona 2026 (Mobile World Congress Barcelona).
Proof that innovation has been a constant pillar of growth is that, in the last 10 years alone, the company chaired by Demetrio Carceller Arce has invested 618 million euros in industrial facilities, R&D and digitalisation. At Damm, innovation has not been limited to one-off technological advances but has been a structural element that has driven the company's operational transformation, product development and digitalisation.
Octavi Martí explained that industrial transformation has been one of the pillars of the company's transformation from its origins as a single-product company to become a group with 16 factories and 2 malting plants. Thus, it has progressively incorporated automated processes, integrated management systems and advanced monitoring technologies that have allowed it to multiply production capacity and streamline operational efficiency.
"Damm's industrial size has changed radically. In the last 25 years alone, we have grown 15-fold to become an international, product-diversified beverage group with 3 production sites outside Spain. Every advancement has always been made with the same aim: to produce better, more efficiently and with the utmost respect for quality", Damm's operations director explained. "Product innovation has also been a constant in our history. A sterling example is the launch of Daura in 2006, after collaborating with the Gluten Unit at the CSIC [Spanish National Research Council] to develop a pioneering technology capable of measuring gluten in liquids".
As for Laura Gil, she explained that the way of innovating has also changed throughout the company's history. Beyond operational and product optimisation, digitalisation and the incorporation of data as a strategic tool has transformed decision-making and the relationship with customers and consumers. "In recent years we’ve driven a technological transformation that has permeated the entire organisation, going from carrying out one-off projects to consolidating a culture based on the integration of new technologies and the use of data. This allows us to anticipate trends, automate processes and personalise the customer experience. It's an evolution that is taking a definite step forward with the use of Artificial Intelligence".
Innovation has also been a determining factor in brand building and in the company's international positioning. Through strategic alliances in sport, culture and music, Damm has strengthened its connection with society and projected its identity beyond its traditional markets.
"Sponsorships have been a key tool for reputational transformation," said Jofre Riera. "They have allowed us to connect with new generations, consolidate our international presence and position ourselves as a brand linked to major events that are part of the collective memory, such as the 1982 Football World Cup, the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and more recently the 37th edition of the America's Cup."
The round table concluded with a shared reflection on the company’s future. In the year of its 150th anniversary, Damm lauds its business model based on the constant drive for innovation as a guarantee to continue strengthening its leadership position and consolidating its international expansion. The company looks to the future by integrating technology, industrial excellence and brand strength as pillars of sustainable growth in an increasingly demanding global environment.
