12 July, 2024The Gipuzkoa town of Urretxu, in the Alto Urola region, is about to become an international benchmark for innovation and training in logistics automation. The Smartlog business group presents Nest, its ambitious Innovation and Talent Centre project. This centre will be dedicated to the optimisation of the internal logistics of companies and is projected as a "global pole of attraction for companies and talent".
Smartlog has announced an investment of 12 million euros for the construction of the new building and the launch of Nest. Construction will begin in September on a 10,000 square metre site and the centre is expected to open in the 2026/27 academic year. The three-storey, 6,000 square metre building will feature a sustainability label and landscaped grounds.
The new Smartlog centre will have a positive impact on the environment, contributing to economic growth through the adoption of advanced technologies. It is expected to attract talent and companies from the technology sector, develop an innovative and entrepreneurial community, and create skilled employment. It will be a catalyst for technological and economic development, promoting training, quality employment, synergies and the implementation of advanced solutions in mobile robotics, warehouse management software and Artificial Intelligence.
The building will house several areas dedicated to innovation and training. On the first floor there will be a space for innovation projects, technology exhibition and experimentation, with advanced technologies such as 5G, cybersecurity, RFID and biometric cameras, as well as Artificial Intelligence applications. The first floor will have classrooms for the training of specialist technicians and senior technicians, in collaboration with universities. The third floor will be an event and conference room, designed to host expert presentations and promote knowledge exchange between companies, customers and students.
Nest will promote collaboration between startups, companies, research centres and students, generating a positive impact on the Alto Urola region and beyond. Smartlog's CEO, Xabier Zubizarreta, highlighted that the centre will be an "epicentre of research and technological development for Logistics 5.0, with cutting-edge technology such as robotics, advanced storage, private 5G networks and artificial vision".
Smartlog, in collaboration with various academic entities and professional organisations, will open two training programmes aimed at vocational training (VET) students and university graduates. The programmes will focus on emerging skills demanded by the market, preparing young people to lead the next wave of innovations in logistics. In collaboration with UGLE Eskola (Urola Garaiko Lanbide Eskola), training programmes will be offered in the areas of mobile robotics, IT and logistics. In addition, there will be a master's degree programme in Logistics Automation, with a cutting-edge focus on intralogistics, unique within the current postgraduate offer, in collaboration with university centres.
Smartlog is working on several innovative projects, from the creation of new businesses to the development of advanced logistics software solutions. These projects include automated warehousing solutions, stacker cranes and mobile robots, universal control systems and 5G technology applications, and predictive logistics using Artificial Intelligence.
Nest will implement a range of advanced technologies, including mobile robotics to improve efficiency in the supply chain, storage and transportation systems for optimising inventory management and product transportation, 5G communications and smart vision systems for rapid connectivity and improved perception and decision making, and Artificial Intelligence and IoT for predictive analytics and continuous optimisation of logistics processes.
With this ambitious project, Urretxu is positioning itself as a future epicentre of logistics innovation, attracting talent, investment and fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region.
