THE TRANSPORT SECTOR IS MOVING TOWARDS A MODEL WHERE EMISSION REDUCTION IS A PRIORITY. MOBILITY UNDER SUSTAINABLE CRITERIA, DIGITALISATION AND CONNECTIVITY WILL MARK THE TRENDS OF THIS TRANSFORMATION. IN THIS CONTEXT, SPANISH COMPANIES, THANKS TO THEIR BOOST TO R&D, ARE READY TO MAKE THE RAILWAY THE BACKBONE OF THIS CHANGE THROUGH PIONEERING PROPOSALS THAT ALIGN TO THE NEW WAYS OF TRAVELLING.
The new challenges facing the transport sector are associated with the evolution in the mobility model and the emergence of new technologies. In the coming years, the sustainable development goals set by different international bodies and institutions will shape the strategies towards achieving a drastic reduction of emissions associated with this sector. The railway, due to its many environmental, organisational and connectivity advantages, will play the leading role of this change.
The implementation of new technological developments will also be key in this transformation and will make it a very attractive and competitive way of travelling, with the greatest comfort and safety for the passenger and fully integrated with other systems.
In recent years, Spanish companies have been demonstrating the high capacity to respond to market trends. This technological muscle and great expertise support its high capacity to face all these challenges successfully. To this end, not only do they make available to the market the most cutting-edge solutions, but they also build partnerships and ecosystems for innovation and digitalisation processes, seek full integration with other modes and provide effective responses to new situations such as the current one after the pandemic.
Aware also of the importance of having the best professionals, they strive to find the best formulas to attract talent and professional development in an advanced technological environment.
TECHNOLOGY FORECASTING
One of the characteristics that defines the Spanish railway industry is its advanced position in R&D. Together with the advances already implemented in networks around the world, experts are constantly working to know new trends and needs in the sector. The objective of this technology forecasting is to collect information, stay up-to-date and capture data from the exterior and from the organisation itself to then thoroughly analyse them and turn them into knowledge.
This competitive intelligence process is key to making decisions, detecting potential threats, and identifying new opportunities for innovative ideas. A key factor that defines the innovation strategy.
INTERMODALITY: TOWARDS THE INTEGRATION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSPORT
The articulation of the railway with other means of transport is one of the main areas on which most of the work will be focused within the coming years. Travel optimisation and progress on sustainable mobility are being sought with the integration of the different ways to reach a final destination.
Spanish companies have been working for years to make this connectivity between different types of networks effective through the implementation of numerous technologies and systems. These include combined ticketing, real-time traffic information systems and applications, advanced control centres for operators, etc.
The ultimate goal is to contribute to improving the competitiveness of public transport, improving road congestion in cities, and also boosting goods.
COVID 19
The current context has highlighted the efficiency of public transport in responding to the new environment. Thanks to the collaboration with the main stakeholders of the Spanish industry, passengers have been able to continue to travel by train comfortably and safely throughout the many cities around the world. This continuity, with every guarantee for the passenger, has been made possible through the application of numerous developments in fields as diverse as operations management, information systems or access control.
DIGITALISATION
La evolución tecnológica ha traído consigo un gran avance
Technological development has brought with it a breakthrough in the digitalisation of the railway sector. The new tools have introduced great advantages such as the possibility to analyse a wealth of data to know in real time the proper functioning of the train fleet and transport infrastructures and to perform predictive maintenance of high reliability.
The role of the industry in this change is of great relevance. Among them, Spanish companies have earned a technological reputation around the world and are among the top positions in aspects such as artificial intelligence, Internet of things, blockchain, automated management, etc. All this, with the aim of contributing to intelligent, more sustainable and safe mobility.
INNOVATIVE ECOSYSTEMS
The richness and variety of Spanish railway companies is based on great strength, collaboration, and gear around innovation. They are knowledge partners which promote joint actions and R&D synergies with other stakeholders connected to the sector.
Much of their success is that they have prioritised advances and technological knowledge. To that end, innovation environments and technology centres have been promoted together with other bodies such as administrations, institutions, or universities.
These innovative ecosystems respond to a new collaborative industrial culture that helps identify lines of action and achieve new challenges.
TALENT ATTRACTION
Advances in the railway sector and transport trends increasingly require highly specialised professionals in different areas. The Spanish industry, aware of the need to attract and maintain talent, gives training and professional development plans a priority role. This strategy provides companies with competitive and highly skilled and motivated teams.
SUSTAINABILITY
One of the areas where Mafex partners play the biggest role is in terms of sustainability. These companies, very committed to the environment, have introduced production processes where climate neutrality is sought. Industry 4.0 leverages new technologies to digitalise its processes and minimise its carbon footprint.
In addition, one of the focal points of its developments specialises in solutions and services to make railway transport the means of the future, the best option to travel and, in turn, to take care of the planet. This vast portfolio includes a wide range of services and products ranging from the design of green infrastructures to the manufacture of state-of-the-art rolling stock with lighter equipment and a longer life cycle. Progress has also been made in the use of renewables as a source of energy supply and in all types of systems (control, fleet management, signalling, energy storage, safety, etc.). All of which is coupled with the participation in research projects to make further progress in this area.
SOME OF THE SPANISH SOLUTIONS TO THE NEW CHALLENGES
Eco railway proposals
- Use of renewable energies in facilities and in commercial operation
- New manufacturing method for environmentally friendly cement
- Braking energy recovery systems
Ferrolineras: Electric vehicle charging at the station
- Fast charging at tram stations with battery systems on board
- Catenary-free trams
- Boost to the hydrogen train
Digitalisation
- Infrastructure digitalisation through BIM
- Smart railway stations
- Eco-efficient traffic, monitoring and driving management systems
- Flexible automatic driving system that allows the integration of functions.
- Automatic protection and operation systems (ATP/ATO).
- Energy Management System (EMS) to reduce on-board energy consumption
- Fleet system to optimise energy consumption management and control
- AI for predictive maintenance
- IoT hardware platform to integrate all on-board equipment
Intermodality
- Railway connections to ports 4.0.
- Systems for the traceability of goods
- Solutions for a connected intermodal transport
Covid
- Centralised operating and planning systems
- Preventive access control system
- Real-time information on infrastructure and train occupancy
- Intelligent passenger density solutions
- Technologies for contactless electronic payment method
Talent attraction
- It has a wide variety of specialised railway training
- Official Master’s degrees in railway engineering, BIM, and numerous other disciplines
- Spanish companies have career development plans