Iberdrola and Grupo Dominguis have set up GDES Technology for Services in order to develop and market technology related to the operation and maintenance of facilities in the electricity sector.

GD Energy Services’ CEO, Héctor Dominguis, and Iberdrola’s Director of Innovation, Agustín Delgado, have sealed the agreement for the creation of this new company in Valencia, whose priority areas of action will be related to nuclear and renewable energy.

GDES Technology for Services aims to take advantage of the synergies between a technology developer such as Grupo Dominguis and a company that stands out in the field of operation and maintenance of its assets, such as Iberdrola.

The new company’s first technological development, in which Iberdrola will have 40% of the capital through the Perseo Fund, will consist in the creation of a system of automatic and continuous monitoring of the gases used in the nuclear power plants, which is expected to be installed in the Cofrentes plant.

COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION

Those responsible for the new company created by Iberdrola and Grupo Dominguis are confident that this advanced monitoring mechanism will allow the optimization of the operation of this important nuclear power plant.

Iberdrola invested 159 million euros in 2013 in the area of ​​Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I), a 10% increase on the previous year. Thanks to this firm commitment to cutting-edge developments, the company has become a benchmark in this area, having been recognized as the most innovative Spanish utility, and the fourth in Europe, according to the ranking prepared by the European Commission.

The firm commitment to R&D&I has also been reflected in the support for entrepreneurs and technology-based companies through the venture capital programme Perseo, which has a budget of 70 million euros. Through this initiative, Iberdrola has already invested over 40 million euros since 2008 in technological start-ups that ensure the sustainability of the energy model in the future.

Recently, the Silicon Valley-based companies Stem and QBotix, which develop solutions to improve energy efficiency in the premises of commercial and industrial customers and robotics to optimise renewable energy generation plants, respectively, have been added to Iberdrola’s investee portfolio through Perseo.

The aim of creating companies like GDES Technology for Services is to attempt to guarantee the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of Iberdrola so as to be able to respond to the needs and challenges of the future.

TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF GD ENERGY SERVICES

One of the main pillars for the growth of GD Energy Services is its commitment to technological development and innovation with the aim of expanding its scope of action, enhancing ongoing improvement and maintaining support to customers in new needs that may arise. To this end, group companies have different tools and structures, such as the INNOVA programme, the Technological Committee and the R&D company Titania Servicios Tecnológicos (spin-off with the Polytechnic University of Valencia).