Meet MC (Grupo Sonae)

MC (Sonae Group) is a Portuguese retail and distribution company.

We spoke with Frederico Borges, Project Manager at MC (Sonae Group).

This collaboration took place within the scope of the EIT MANUFACTURING MomaFlex project, which concluded in December 2024. As part of this project, INESC TEC demonstrated a mobile manipulator for automating logistics tasks at Worten in Azambuja.

What is the connection between MC (Sonae Group) and INESC TEC? 

INESC TEC is one of our main national partners in technological development. With a future-based vision, we seek to test and evaluate emerging technologies, analysing their potential application to our reality. In addition, we aim to conform to questions related to GDPR and compliance when testing new solutions. 

The partnership with INESC TEC enables the analysis of the various technological challenges, ensuring that our tests are carried out in real environments – and, whenever feasible, the implementation of the technologies developed. 

Recently, INESC TEC collaborated with MC (Sonae Group) within the scope of the Momaflex project. What were the main goals? Which results would you like to highlight? 

We developed the Momaflex project in collaboration with Worten, focusing on assessing the feasibility of automatic order fulfilling at certain stores. Although the full automation of the selection of all products sold by Worten is not yet a reality, the implementation of equipment capable of handling 80% of the products represents a significant advance in operational terms. 

The equipment developed by INESC TEC demonstrated this ability, allowing the preparation of several products in a completely autonomous way. The technology was fully validated; however, to enable a business case, we needed to achieve a higher throughput. 

To what extent can the solutions developed contribute to a significant advance in the automation of logistics processes? 

The solutions under development, if implemented, may provide operational and qualitative gains. These solutions will automate processes, reduce breakage and minimise the seizing of material to be sold at said stores. 

How do you rate your experience with INESC TEC? 

Our experience has been quite positive. In this type of project, the goal may change, with new challenges emerging, which require a more flexible approach. To overcome these obstacles, it is crucial to have a dynamic and ambitious team, capable of adapting the initial scope of the project according to the business-defined requirements. 

The INESC TEC team demonstrated said ability, combined with a high level of technical knowledge, allowing us to achieve the established objectives: to carry out tests in a real environment and validating the technology. 

What do you value the most in this collaboration? 

In addition to the technical knowledge essential for innovation projects, the availability of INESC TEC teams to meet our needs stands out. Our projects are highly ambitious, and INESC TEC researchers are always open and available to support us. 

We consider INESC TEC one of the most relevant technological partners for MC (Sonae Group), contributing significantly to the development and implementation of innovative solutions. 

What can we expect from MC (Sonae Group) over the upcoming years?  

More collaborative endeavours between MC (Sonae Group) and INESC TEC, without a shadow of a doubt. The knowledge acquired throughout these projects allows us to understand the path that Sonae MC seeks to follow. We’re already discussing new projects, towards implementing technologies and boosting innovation in the sector.