Indra and the University of Seville create the "space surveillance" chair

Indra and the University of Seville today signed a collaboration and sponsorship agreement for the creation of the "Space Surveillance" Chair at the University of Seville. This alliance is aimed at the joint development of R&D&I activities, the promotion of teaching activities and interdisciplinary research linked to the space sector. 

Thanks to the agreement, signed by Miguel Ángel Castro, Rector of the University of Seville, and Miguel Ángel Morell, Indra's Chief Technology Officer (CTO), academic work, final projects and doctoral theses linked to the development of new space technologies and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) or big data, among others, will be promoted, as well as opportunities for collaboration with the Spanish Space Agency (AEE). 

In addition, the collaboration between the two entities will allow the joint execution of R&D&I activities and postgraduate and highly specialised courses for students and professionals; the development of promotional, dissemination, study, training and research activities; as well as the organisation of forums for academic, business and student meetings. Both the creation of the Chair and its development are closely linked to the Seville School of Engineering (ETSI), where the Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering and the Master's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering are taught, which are part of the European network of aerospace excellence PEGASUS and in which around 150 students graduate each year. 

During the ceremony, the rector highlighted the diversity of possibilities offered by this agreement, among which he highlighted the development of microcredentials, for which the European Union has approved 50 million euros in 2024 "of which around a quarter will come from Andalusia, and in general the weight of the University of Seville accounts for a quarter of Andalusian universities, so we will have economic resources to tackle new projects". The Rector also made reference to the investments that the Seville Innovation Centre for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Urban Aerial Mobility (CUAM) is receiving, which last year received six million euros for its start-up and which this year will receive a further nine million. 

"This agreement with the University of Seville is a sign of Indra's commitment to Andalusian and Sevillian talent in a highly specialised sector of the future in which Andalusian and Spanish industry and professionals have the opportunity to play a leading role", explained Miguel Ángel Morell, Indra's CTO. 

The space sector is booming due to its enormous potential and the disruptive advances that have been made in recent years, and is expected to grow at annual rates of 6.97% until 2026. The economy and the security and defence of countries are increasingly dependent on the services provided from space, which makes satellites a strategic asset. 

Indra has played a key role in the development of Europe's main space infrastructures, including the Copernicus Earth observation system and the Galileo global geopositioning system. It has also deployed the ground segment of the Spanish earth observation satellite Paz and has launched Startical, a company created by Indra in collaboration with ENAIRE, which will deploy a constellation of more than 200 satellites to improve air traffic management worldwide from space. 

In Andalusia, Indra is present in all provinces, with seven main centres, an innovation laboratory and two project offices, with around 2,500 professionals. In Seville, it has 1,700 professionals and three work centres.