Acciona and Autodesk join SEP and launch EU platform for Digital Construction & Infrastructure
Startup Europe announces: ACCIONA and Autodesk Join Startup Europe Partnership and Launch first European Platform for Digital Construction and Infrastructure
The Spanish group and the US tech leader enter the Startup Europe’s Open Innovation Platform led by Mind the Bridge. The platform will be open to other international construction, engineering and technology companies.
ACCIONA, a leading supplier of sustainable infrastructure solutions and renewable energy projects, and Autodesk, Inc., a globally leading 3D design, engineering, and construction software company, will join the Startup Europe Partnership (SEP) and support the global growth of European companies. Seeking to play a central role in Europe’s economic future and in Industry 4.0 transformation, ACCIONA and Autodesk will power the new SEP vertical platform dedicated to Digital Construction and Infrastructure.
The goal of this new platform is to stimulate and accelerate European startups and scaleups able to provide innovative and digital solutions in construction, helping reduce costs and carbon emissions, improve profitability and efficiency, and create a smarter more diverse construction industry.
ACCIONA’s and Autodesk’s entry into SEP is a commitment to the “startup challenge” with the goal of assessing opportunities for possible procurement, investments and acquisitions.
“I am delighted that ACCIONA and Autodesk have joined the Startup Europe Partnership open innovation platform, part of the European Commission’s Startup Europe initiative, to help European startups innovate and digitalize the construction industry that plays a relevant role in Europe,” said Isidro Laso Ballesteros, Head of Startups and Scaleups at the European Commission.
“The European startup landscape isn’t just about young micro-companies. It is also about scaleups and large corporations working together in a win-win for all. “As industries embrace digital transformation, the potential of improvement is exponential” said Alberto Onetti, Mind the Bridge Chairman responsible for Startup Europe Partnership. “Moving the Construction industry from Analog to Digital, we can produce annual savings over $1 Trillion, beyond reducing waste and increasing safety on the work place. That said, we are thrilled to partner with ACCIONA and Autodesk and other companies that will decide to join us on this very important challenge whereas European startups can play a key role.”
“We believe that innovation and startups have the power to change the future of the cities and infrastructures” said Telmo Perez, Chief Innovation & New Business at ACCIONA. “Digital technologies as robotics, 3d printing large scale or AI are about to change the construction industry like never before and require total different approaches as this alliance with Autodesk and Mind The Bridge, or ACCIONA’s open innovation platform I’MNOVATION www.imnovation.com. We are looking for European startups that help us to build that future.”
“The construction industry is a $10 trillion market, expected to grow to $17T by 2030 with the challenge to build one thousand new buildings per day” said Uwe Wasserman, Director, Business Development AEC at Autodesk. “The construction industry is aggressively embracing digitization and Autodesk is eager to continue our support for the industry’s transition into the era of digitization and connection. The startup ecosystem is proven to be of tremendous value by bringing innovation, productivity and savings to construction and with BIM360 and Forge Autodesk is offering an open platform helping startups to build solutions addressing all different phases of the entire construction project lifecycle from design, preconstruction, construction execution and handover into operations.
ACCIONA and Autodesk will create a new SEP vertical platform dedicated to Digital Construction and Infrastructure. The goal of this new platform is to stimulate and accelerate Europe’s startups and scaleups able to provide innovative and digital solutions in construction, helping reduce costs and carbon.
The platform will be open to other international construction, engineering and technology companies that have the possibility to join as “Corporate Partners”.
An ongoing call aimed at looking for European innovative startups and scaleups, managed by Mind the Bridge, is available here: https://startupeuropepartnership.eu/vertical-platforms/
Selected startups will be introduced to ACCIONA and Autodesk and other key players in the industry in dedicated sessions during the next SEP Scaleup Summits with the goal of assessing opportunities for possible procurement/co-development, investments and acquisitions.
The main areas of interests and challenges to be addressed are:
Digitalizing the Design and Construction Process
- Design to Fabrication
- Design to Preconstruction
- Design to Construction
- Industrialization of Construction
- The Connected Work Site
- Automation & Robotics
- 3D Printing, additive manufacturing
- Connected BIM workflows (e.g. VR/AR/MR, Generative Design, Machine Learning, Computational Design, Reality
- Capturing, Simulation and Analysis etc)
- Autonomous machinery and vehicles
- Other: data, blockchain, etc. (i.e.. Safety, Monitoring, Management & Administrative)
Data focused Operation & Maintenance of Infrastructures
- Remote control and monitoring
- Predictive forecasting and maintenance
- Advanced delivery
- Connect BIM & GIS (Master planning > Project planning, Hand Over > Infrastructure maintenance
The Future of Cities
- Design & Planning
- Mobility & Transportation
- Connected New Services
Expectations
- Reduce Risk and Costs
- Drive profitability, Safety and Sustainability
- Generate new revenue lines and business models
MY-GATEWAY partner SPARK was at the We Are Developers World Congress 2018!
SPARK, as one of the communication partners of the Congress, took the opportunity to offer access to the event to 2 startups and while there did not miss the chance to promote the Startup Europe Ambassador initiative to the international audience.
Over the last 2 years, SPARK has been partnering up with the 3-day conference and, as usual, some team members attended the event:
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Sanjin Osmanbašić, Managing Director
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Ivan Krešić, Executive Director, Research & Development Program Lead
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Sara Lerota, Partnership & Startup Development
But they did not go alone, they were accompanied by their colleagues from NSoft, a top quality service solution provider.
About 8000 people attended the event, with over a 1000 coming from the Western Balkans. The outcome of the event was positive and software developers, business developers, startups and students would definitely attend the event again. Even Apple’s co-founder Steve Wozniak was present and declared his strong inclination in favour of the Blockchain Technology.
The startups that SPARK brought to WAD were Amplius electronics represented by team member Robert Rozić and Ante Delić representing Imicron.
If you want to know more about how the story between WAD and SPARK began, read this.
What is SPARK?
SPARK is an advanced digital technology acceleration platform dedicated to regional startups and projects commissioned by leading European companies. SPARK’s programs are SPARK school, SPARK r&d, SPARK startup and SPARK business. Users are individuals, teams, investors, companies, researchers, and sponsors. SPARK has been listed as a Network Partner.
What is We Are Developers?
The WeAreDevelopers World Congress takes place in Vienna once a year and provides thousands of developers with the latest insights.
More info: https://www.wearedevelopers.com/about/
What is MY-GATEWAY?
MY-GATEWAY is an initiative of Startup Europe that aims to strengthen the capacities of high-tech start-ups and innovative SMEs in the CEE region to become better connected, gain higher market exposure, and have improved, streamlined access to funding opportunities and talents.