eCitySevilla celebrates World Energy Efficiency Day with a total of 52 public and private organisations that are committed to turning PCT Cartuja into a 100% sustainable and decarbonised environment in 2025, bringing forward the UN target of achieving a CO 2 free world by 2050. This broad participation in the project, which accounts for 67% of the total consumption of the buildings located in the PCT Cartuja, means that eCitySevilla can achieve the goal of the reducing consumption, which has been fixed at 35%, using energy efficiency in the buildings.

To that end, the eCitySevilla buildings group is working on different proposals to turn these headquarters into smart buildings, through energy audits based on the European SRI methodology, which in addition to energy savings, measures the degree of flexibility of the buildings, their capacity for self-production, their digitisation and comfort level or through the supply of 100% renewable energy, produced in the building itself or in other locations on the island.

The initiative, led by the Regional Government of Andalusia, through the Ministries of Finance and European Finance (through the Andalusian Energy Agency) and Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities), the City Council of Seville, the Cartuja Science and Technology Park (PCT Cartuja) and Endesa, is based on generating energy supply from renewable energy, through self-consumption and photovoltaic generation facilities within the enclosure with more than 30 megawatts. A total of five working groups are working to develop the strategies to be followed in each of the project’s pillars: energy, sustainable mobility, buildings, digitisation and communication and participation.

From within these groups, the participating organisations are already being encouraged to take steps to move towards the goals of the project, such as the launch of the efficient lighting campaign to reduce energy consumption in PCT Cartuja. Thanks to the work of all these groups, PCT Cartuja will have efficient buildings, and charging points will be deployed throughout the area to promote sustainable electric mobility. All this will be done through an autonomous system, connected to a fully digitised (Smart Grid,) which will also enable the existence of an open data platform for intelligent management of the park.

More than fifty entities have joined

The eCitySevilla project continues to receive applications for membership, with 52 participating organisations. The first companies and institutions to join were Aalto consultants, the Association of Industrial Research and Cooperation of Andalusia (AICIA), the Business and Financial Business Club of Andalusia (CEFNA / Chamber of Commerce); the conservation organisation of PCT Cartuja; Eulen, Isotrol, Mercanza, Telefónica, Wellness Telecom, Inerco, Caixabank, Anda Gesión Global, Power Electronics Spain, The Cartuja Business Circle, the Higher Technical School of Engineers of the University of Seville, Ayesa, Ingelectus, Puerto Triana, the Official Association of Telecommunications Engineers of Western Andalusia and Ceuta, Solum Photovoltaic Innovation, Solutia Innovaworld Technologies, the Andalusian Environment and Water Agency, The Technological Corporation of Andalusia, the EOI Foundation, the GFI Information Technology Group, Orange Spain, Cibernos, Zityfy Mobility, Alter Technology, CEP Seville and Schneider Electric.

The following organisations have also joined the ones mentioned above: the Public Asset Management Company (Epgasa), Insur Patrimonial, Urbantech Titania, Everis, World Trade Center, Macpuarsa-MP Ascensores, Eman Ingeniería, Best TIC, the Faculty of Communication of the University of Seville, Samu, the I.T. consultancy Acofi, the Confederation of Business Owners of Andalusia (CEA), the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (IAPH) and the Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), representing CIC-Cartuja. Enrolment of the latest organisations that have submitted applications to join will also be formalised in the near future: Ciclogreen, Epyme, Vodafone Spain, Saergy and ESIC Business School. The presence of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) as an external observer is also worthy of note.

The role of this organisation, whose only offices in Spain are in the PCT Cartuja, is to provide scientific and technical advice to the European Union and its member states, and it plays a key role in research and innovation. All these entities, with headquarters or economic activity in PCT Cartuja, have been able to integrate into the activity of the different working groups that are implementing the project.

Acknowledgments

The eCitySevilla initiative has recently been recognised by the Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain (APTE) as one of the best practices developed in these innovation venues. Among other criteria, the assessment has been based on its pioneering activity in the framework of science and technology parks, the use of ICT tools in its development and its contribution to the objectives of the Europe 2020 policy. At an international level, the project was a reference point at the European Week of Regions and Cities of the European Commission, held in Seville last October, as an example of an avant-garde project that strengthens and positions the city of Seville as a laboratory of sustainable and innovation urban practices. In addition, participants at South Summit, the largest showcase of innovation in Southern Europe, also had the opportunity to get to know the eCitySevilla project in October, thanks to Endesa.

How to participate in the eCitySevilla project

The project remains open for applications to join. Interested companies can access the form that is available on the project website. Among the requirements to be met by interested organisations are to be head quartered or to carry out economic activity in PCT Cartuja and to take part in one or more of the working groups that make up the project. eCitySevilla has already had its own website for a few months (http://www.ecitysevilla.com), which can be used by interested companies and current members to consult information on the goals and progress of the project. In addition, a monthly newsletter is sent with all the new developments that are taking place in the project.