Non-Technological

The ACCIONA Innovation Observatory

The Observatory is designed to help ACCIONA keep abreast of technology and innovation trends, and to stay several steps ahead of future changes.

Its goals are as follows:

Technological:

• Aid early detection of emerging technological trends in ACCIONA's business spheres.
• Broaden ACCIONA's technological and innovation advantage by closely monitoring technological progress.

Strategic:

• Identify future scenarios and their implications for ACCIONA.
• Stay ahead of technologies and business models that are likely to yield business opportunities in the future.

Brand Image:

• Heighten awareness of the ACCIONA brand; be seen as a global trailblazer in innovation.

Relationships:

• Set up a platform for creating a worldwide network of alliances that contributes to developing a model of open innovation.

Business Accelerator

The Accelerator is geared towards taking emerging, sustainable and non-strategic technological projects and initiatives and turning them into hard business. It also takes into account their potential as a spin-off/start-up and considers, once consolidated, to what extent they might be either reincorporated into the business or sold-off to third parties.

Examples of Accelerator projects:

Elastomeric Mat

• An elastomer (polymer) made up of end-of-life tire rubber and polyurethane resin, delivering high noise and vibration attenuation levels. Laid in continuous form along rail track.
• National (Spain) patent applied for in July 2010 (option to extend to EU-wide patent). Product backed by certified trials.
• Used by ACCIONA on the Barcelona-French Border stretch of Spain's High Speed Rail line (March 2010).

Characteristics

• Highly versatile application: street cars/tramway, light railway, local and nationwide rail Networks, etc.
• Good margins.
• Low initial outlay (around 70,000€) and scalable.
• Easy scalability.

Embedded slab track rail system - MLG System

• An elastomer similar to the one mentioned above, applied to the side and underside of the track, and embedded in slab form. There are three types of this product delivering varying levels of attenuation.
• Products patented in Spain; patent pending for other countries (Poland, Australia…) since August 2010. Product certified by Metro de Madrid (Madrid Subway, Spain).
• Used by ACCIONA on the Granada light railway system (Spain).

Characteristics

• Specific application on streetcar/tram systems and light railway (development restricted to Spain).
• Binary Market (few large-scale bids).
• Tighter margins.
• Initial outlay: around one million euros.