- Promoted by Ferrovial, the Castilla-La Mancha Regional Government and the University of Alcalá.
- The centre has started up the EMMOS (energy efficiency in buildings), TOBOSO (toll road software) and RINTER (smart collection of consumer separated waste) projects.
- Rafael Fando Mestre, Ferrovial’s Head of Innovation, has been appointed as Director of the Centre.
The Smart Infrastructure Innovation Centre (Centro de Innovación de Infraestructuras InteligentesCI3), created by Ferrovial in cooperation with the Castilla-La Mancha Regional Government and the University of Alcalá de Henares, has become operational with the approval of its first three projects: EMMOS, TOBOSO and RINTER. The centre, based at the Guadalajara Science and Technology Park, will have a budget of 20 million euro from public and private sources for the period 2010-2013.
The Centre’s first project, EMMOS, refers to an advanced energy efficiency management system for buildings, urban areas and facilities. The TOBOSO project will develop a new back office software platform for automating tolling on toll roads.
The RINTER project focuses on smart waste collection. Using sensors installed inside bins for consumer sorted waste (paper, plastic, glass), the system will automatically detect how full the container is and transmit the information to a control centre to enable truck routes to be optimized. This will save energy, avoid greenhouse gas emissions and improve citizens’ quality of life. The Smart Infrastructure Innovation Centre will gradually take on other projects in its three major areas of action: toll roads, airports and cities.
The Board of Trustees of the Foundation that manages the centre has appointed Rafael Fando Mestre, currently Head of Innovation IT within Ferrovial’s Systems Division, as General Manager of the Centre.
Development strategy
The Centre’s goal is to play a leading role, both in Spain and internationally, in the development of products and services based on the idea of smart infrastructure: i.e. any infrastructure whose design and operation, supported by information and communications technology and associated services, seeks to improve its users’ living standards in a way that is sustainableeconomically, socially and environmentally.
The new Centre is expected to provide effective support for Ferrovial’s innovation strategy by facilitating diversification and market adaptation of the company’s businesses in innovative aspects and improving its competitiveness through the adoption of best practices. Ferrovial is currently involved in a number of research, development and innovation projects with a total budget of 50 million euro.
