Adif and Indra extend R&D+i collaboration

Adif and Indra’s Chairmans Antonio González Marin and Javier Monzón de Cáceres, respectively, subscribed yesterday, May 23, an extension for two years of the R&D+i collaboration framework agreement signed in May, 2005.

The agreement establishes the guidelines for the research and collaboration activities to be carried out at Adif’s Railway Technology Centre (CTF) located in the Andalusia Technology Park (PTA), in Malaga.

Special mention deserves the DaVinci system as a special area of common interest for both entities. The system was developed by Indra and is intellectual property of Adif and is considered the most advanced railway traffic management platform worldwide.

Both companies will focus their efforts on railway signalling and safety. In this area, Indra has developed a new RBC system (Radio Block Center) in order to improve signalling in the framework of the future European Railway Traffic management System (ERTMS) thanks to the validation and interoperability certification of the system carried out at the GSM-R laboratory at the CTF or onboard Adif’s laboratory trains.

Indra, the premier IT company in Spain and a leading IT multinational in Europe, has implemented at the CTF a laboratory specialised in the research and development of advanced solutions for railway traffic. This way, the IT company and Adif will team up to consolidate Spain as a worldwide benchmark in high speed.

The CTF is equipped with two specialised laboratories property of Adif: the GSM-R for the RBC-Tren technology and communications and the development of ERTMS data engineering; and the ICT laboratory, dedicated to intelligent transport systems and the evolution of the DaVinci system, an advanced railway traffic management system.

On occasion of the creation of the new laboratory, the company has destined a team of 20 specialised and highly-qualified researchers and technicians to the new centre. There, its avant-garde developments will be promoted to control and manage railway exploitation, an area where Indra and Adif have collaborated for over a decade.

With this new R&D laboratory, Indra reinforces its presence in the Andalusia Technology Park (PTA) in Malaga, with a previous Software Lab inaugurated at the beginning of 2004. The Malaga Software Lab, where the company collaborates with PTA and the University of Malaga, is part of Indra's software lab network. The network consists of 20 centres distributed across Europe, Asia and Latin America and it employs over 4000 professionals specialised in high-level software for all the sectors Indra is active in.

Malaga Railway Technology Centre (CTF), a technology innovation benchmark

Adif, always committed to innovation and technology development from the start, has 57 R&D ongoing projects in the development phase and in cooperation with different organisations which represent a global investment of 107 million Euros besides the cooperation with over 125 Spanish firms, 22 technology centres and 24 universities.

With the creation of the CTF, Adif seeks a leading position for the Spanish railway system at European and world level. The technology centre and the future test loop will be at the head of investigation, development and innovation applied to high speed.

The Retse building, handed over by Agencia Idea, with a financial aid of € 5.6 million by the Ministry of Science and Innovation within the framework of the scientific/ technological infrastructures, is a 3000 m2 – two- storey edification, with 25 m2 modular spaces and premises of 150 m2. It will be destined to technical work, training and demo classrooms, conference room; and services such as a canteen and parking lot.

The departments of the centre will be specialised in training, technology surveillance, R&D&I project management and technology transfer for the development of Adif's either national or international projects in cooperation or for third parties under contract.

At the forefront of the railway sector

Indra's commitment with the railway sector and innovation has put the company at the forefront at global level. The IT company has developed cutting-edge technology solutions for the most innovative Spanish clients and has exported them to UK, China, USA among others.

The best example of this commitment is the DaVinci system, born of heavy investment in R&D+i and of the work of 150 people throughout four years, which has become an international railway traffic management benchmark. It manages Spain's high speed network as well as other different networks such as Metro de Medellin or the London Underground (Metronet). Last year, it was chosen to manage Morocco and Lithuania's railway networks.

Indra is the second European company with major R&D investment in the Information Technologies (Computer Services) sector according to the Industrial R&D Scoreboard report released by the European commission. Its commitment with innovation is reflected in an investment of 184 million Euros and over 280 R&D+i projects in 2010. This represents an investment effort of 7% over the revenue figure, well above average Spanish companies-a little higher than 1%- and the mean developed countries (USA, Japan, etc.) –around 3%.

Indra is the premier Information Technology company in Spain and a leading IT multinational in Europe and Latin America. It is ranked as the second European company in its sector according to investment in R&D with nearly € 500 M during the last three years. In 2010 revenues reached € 2,557 M of which a 40% came from the international market. The company employs more than 31,000 professionals and has clients in more than 110 countries