The use of drones has become common practice. Its usefulness has been demonstrated both in emergency situations to assess risks, search for people, transport medicines or even floats in case of shipwreck, and in other less catastrophic situations, such as controlling pests, weeds or flocks.
The mobility sector is not immune to the benefits that drones provide in the field of security, prevention, traffic management and maintenance of roads and highways. For this reason, Abertis, a world leader in the transformation of high-capacity roads, launches the “Drone Challenge”, a challenge to find innovative solutions based on the use of drones. The initiative, open until January 30, is a call to universities, entrepreneurs, SMEs and startups around the world to identify how the use of drones can improve road operations and the maintenance of land infrastructure.
"We are very interested in advancing the use of drones and the technology embedded in them, to continue improving the operation and maintenance activities of our high-capacity roads," says Antonio Durán, Global Head of Innovation at Abertis, one of the international reference operators in the management of high-capacity and quality highways, with nearly 8,000 kilometers of roads in 15 countries in Europe, America and Asia.
The challenge, which is framed within Beyond Roads – Abertis' open innovation hub – is a call to search for disruptive solutions focused on two areas. On the one hand, the company seeks how to improve actions on roads and highways by addressing areas such as traffic management, support for road operations, rapid and effective response in case of emergencies on the road and action in response to weather events. adverse. On the other hand, the challenge that Abertis poses to entities and startups is to provide solutions for preventive and proactive maintenance of infrastructure that allows problems to be identified and addressed early, such as the inspection or rehabilitation of pavements and structures, among others.
All this from the use of drones and the technology associated with them and with the aim of conceiving new ways of operating mobility infrastructures so that they are increasingly cleaner, connected, intelligent, sustainable and safe for users and workers.
At Abertis we are committed to leading the revolution in infrastructure management, collaborating with universities, entrepreneurs and visionary startups that share our passion for a more sustainable, safe and efficient future,” adds Georgina Flamme, director of the Abertis Foundation. “We want to develop new, even more advanced solutions that help us improve all our indicators to directly and positively impact the well-being of people and the environment.”
The applications received until January 30 will be evaluated by a committee of experts made up of members from the different countries in which the group is present. The winning proposal will be announced in April 2024, and will receive a reward estimated at 40,000 euros for the development of a pilot in one of the countries in which Abertis operates. The six finalist solutions will receive a financial prize of 4,000 euros. In addition, participants will have the possibility of becoming suppliers to the Abertis Group.
More information and submission of candidatures at:
beyondroads.abertis.com
