The UPM Spain and Alstom create a Chair for Innovation in railway infrastructure and smart grid management

Alstom Spain and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) have signed an agreement to create the Alstom Chair for smart grids, infrastructure and railway signalling. Within this collaboration framework both institutions are looking to encourage the creation of a technology platform for conducting training, research and knowledge transfer.

Located in Industrial Engineering School of the Madrid Polytechnic University, (ETSII-UPM), the Alstom Chair aims to promote teaching in this school in the areas of electricity transmission, railway infrastructure management and smart grids. The activity is based on stable cooperation between both parties in the fields of training, science and technology, and will contribute mutually to continued learning of advanced management methods.

Javier Uceda, Rector of the Madrid Polytechnic University, and Pedro Solé, President of Alstom Spain presented the new Chair, which will also promote and encourage lines of research, development and innovation (R&D+ i) in areas of common interest.

In the presentation, Javier Uceda emphasized the tradition of "collaboration" between Alstom and ETSI Industriales, a cooperation that is based on "innovation" and culminates with the creation of this new chair. The initiative, which is a "commitment to the future" and an "open door for several years to come” complements the 80 further chair agreements that UPM has signed with different companies, and demonstrates the "very strong links with the business world". It is an essential link, said the rector of the UPM, forming part of "our responsibility" to transfer the knowledge generated in the University and make it become reality in products and services.

Meanwhile, Pedro Solé, President of Alstom Spain, stressed the importance of innovation in the company, an element which "is part of DNA and the strategic basis of Alstom Spain." In this sense, the UPM is a "significant lever for Alstom, as it brings talent, knowledge and technical potential." For Alstom Spain, the chair is a "platform for innovation and knowledge transfer," and a "way to strengthen the relationship between the two institutions."

For Jesús Félez, director of ETSI Industriales of the UPM, the creation of the Chair is also the "consolidation" of the strategic alliance between Alstom and the school. Some time back it started back with the implementation of projects such as the "OCEAN Leader – Leaders of marine renewable energy”, from the Electrical Engineering Department which was co-funded by the CENIT-E (part of the national R&D+ I funding). A further example is the project "Safety software development for use in equipment shipped by rail”, a project between Alstom and the CITEF research center.

The Chair will serve to extend the collaboration of these research groups, enhance teaching in the school and encourage the implementation of new lines of R&D. Specifically, activities will focus on boosting the teaching provided in the training programs, thus bringing the school closer to real industrial situations. Furthermore, studies will be sponsored in the areas of electricity transmission, railway infrastructure and smart grid management, as will training activities. Finally, they will collaborate with technical workshops and the dissemination of knowledge obtained in the Chair´s scope.

About Alstom

Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group employs 92,700 people in more than 100 countries, and had sales of over €20.9 billion in 2010/11. In Spain, Alstom employees around 4,000 people in 30 working sites.

About the Madrid Polytechnic University (UPM)

The Madrid Polytechnic University (UPM) is a reference in research and teaching in the areas of architecture and engineering in Spain. Each year, about 38,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate and postgraduate pass through the learning procedures. About 4,000 researchers carry out their duties in their facilities and the school has gained international recognition for some 200 research groups. The UPM is the top Spanish university to obtain external R&D resources and has the highest participation in the VII Framework Programme projects. Two of the Campus have the International Excellence Campus (ERC) certificate.

www.upm.es

About the Industrial School of Industrial (ETSII)

With 4,500 students, 300 professors, 790 researchers and R&D agreements with over 140 universities in 43 countries, the Industrial Engineering School of the UPM is the leading industrial engineering school in terms of experience, admission demand, innovation and international expansion. It is the only public institution whose degree is certified by the American ABET and has been verified in the Social Responsibility Report by GRI.

www.etsii.upm.es

Press Contact - Alstom Spain

Irma Aguado - Tel: +34 91 334 56 81 - irma.aguado@crn.alstom.com - www.alstom.es