Smartlog launches Nest, its Innovation and Talent Centre
Urretxu will be an international landmark for research and training in logistics automation.
- The centre set up by Smartlog will be “a global pole of attraction for companies and talent”.
- It involves Smartlog playing a part in training university and vocational training students in advanced logistics.
- 12 million euros have been invested in a modern building that is to open its doors in the 2026/27 academic year.
- Laid out on three floors, there will be an innovation zone, training classrooms and a lecture theatre.
- Xabier Zubizarreta (CEO): “This is a milestone for the Smartlog group and for the region. A place where technological innovation will play a leading role.”
The town of Urretxu, in the Alto Urola area of Gipuzkoa province, is about to become an international landmark for innovation and training in logistics automation.
At a media event today, the Smartlog business group presented Nest, its plan for an Innovation and Talent Centre, linked to its engineering business to optimise companies’ internal logistics.
Smartlog is to invest 12 million euros in constructing the new building and launching this “global pole of attraction for companies and talent”.
The centre will have a positive impact on the region, by contributing to economic growth through the adoption of advanced technologies; attracting talent and businesses in the technology sector; developing an innovative, enterprising community; and creating qualified employment.
The project includes the construction, from September onwards, of a modern three-storey building with 6,000 square metres of floor space on a site covering 10,000 square metres, with garden areas, to open its doors in the 2026/27 academic year.
A catalyst for technological and economic development
Smartlog has planned a centre that will combine RDI and training activities. All in a building on which work is to begin in September this year, to house, among others, an innovation area, classrooms and a lecture theatre.
It will be a catalyst for technological and economic development, promoting training, quality jobs, synergies and the implementation of advanced mobile robotics solutions, warehouse management software and artificial intelligence.
It will be a cutting-edge experimental centre promoting collaboration between startups, businesses in the region, research centres and students, “generating a positive impact in the local area and beyond.”
Located in Urretxu, in the heart of the Alto Urola area, this new centre presented today will become, in the words of Smartlog CEO Xabier Zubizarreta, “an epicentre for technological research and development for Logistics 5.0, with latest-generation technology like robotics, advanced storage, private 5G networks and artificial vision. Technological innovation will play a leading role.”
A vibrant enterprise ecosystem
Also, as the CEO of this Gipuzkoa-based company stresses, it will establish a “crucial bridge between the academic sphere and the industrial sector, training highly-qualified professionals and creating an innovation ecosystem to foster enterprise.”
We hope that this centre will become a catalyst for regional economic development, attracting investment, creating qualified jobs and fostering a vibrant enterprise ecosystem. It is a milestone for Smartlog, but also for industry in the region, for Urretxu, for the Alto Urola area, Gipuzkoa province and the Basque Country as a whole.
Nest is a commitment to logistics 5.0, the logistics of the future. It is a place that combines research, technological development, innovation and talent; the sum of efforts and creativity. Nest is set up to add value for society and for businesses. It is set up to be a global landmark in order to carry on progressing towards efficient, sustainable, resilient and people-centred logistics operations.
Two lines of training for vocational training students and university graduates
Attracting talent is currently one of industry’s principal challenges. This is precisely one of the goals pursued by Smartlog in setting up this centre.
To this end, the Gipuzkoa-based group specialising in logistics automation technology, in collaboration with different academic institutions and professional organisations, is to create appropriate training paths for vocational training students and university graduates.
The training programmes will focus on emerging skills demanded by the market, training young people to lead the next wave of logistics innovations.
Vocation training courses with UGLE Eskola
In collaboration with UGLE Eskola (Urola Garaiko Lanbide Eskola), Smartlog is to offer vocational training programmes for technicians in the areas of mobile robotics, information technology and logistics.
University master's degree in Logistics Automation
Also, this talent-centred scheme by Smartlog will offer a master’s programme in logistics Automation, with a cutting-edge focus on intralogistics, making it unique among the range of postgraduate courses currently on offer. This course will be run in collaboration with university centres.
Layout of the building
First floor. Innovation, exhibition and experimentation area
The building will be divided into three areas, one on each floor. The first floor will be used for innovation projects, exhibitions of the latest technology and experimentation. This includes creating and testing prototypes. All this in a setting equipped with the latest advances: 5G, cybersecurity, radio frequency identification (RFID) and biometric cameras, among other technologies.
Also all the advances in the use of artificial intelligence, which adds predictive ability to the management of warehouses and distribution centres. Smart intralogistics combines monitoring of assets and processes with AI algorithms to give a comprehensive view of the supply chain. The data gathered are analysed in real time to identify patterns, trends and issues. This information is used to predict future scenarios, such as possible peaks in demand, production delays or equipment failures.
Smartlog’s commitment to artificial intelligence in general and to generative AI is strategic. These are technologies to drive efficiency and creativity in its intralogistics solutions, optimising processes and fostering constant innovation. In this way Smartlog reaffirms its commitment to the digital transformation and to leadership in the logistics sector, so anticipating the needs of the market and its clients.
Research, startups and technologically innovative projects
Moreover, this first floor of the building will house a special area for research into latest-generation automation and intralogistics management, in order to actively facilitate and promote innovation. This includes the development of new products and the incorporation of advanced technologies.
This plant will house the startup area, devoted to enterprise and creativity, offering a living space to develop and create ideas for new technology businesses. A shared workspace where researchers, companies and startups can work together and pool ideas. With well-equipped laboratories for developing and testing new technologies.
Second floor. Training and laboratory area
This will have classrooms to train specialist and advanced technicians, working together with universities.
Third floor. Lecture and event area
The top floor of the centre will have a hall for events and lectures. A place designed to host talks by experts and knowledge transfer between companies, clients and students interested in the latest trends in the intralogistics sector.
Projects on which Smartlog is currently working
Smartlog’s focus ranges from creating new projects to advancing in communications and control, taking in the development of advanced solutions in logistics software. These projects are carried out in close cooperation with companies in the region, technology centres, associations and clusters, as well as training institutions.
In the area of new businesses, the Smartlog group is leading the incorporation of advanced solutions that promise to transform industry, such as stacker cranes for automated storage, mobile robots for internal transport of materials and patented technologies for the mechanisation sector.
In communications and control, the Gipuzkoa-based firm is working on universal control systems able to operate several devices and machines, and on new uses of 5G technology to revolutionise the way industries communicate and operate.
Finally, Smartlog is working on packaging solutions and developing predictive logistics using artificial intelligence.
Technologies to be implemented
Mobile robotics: advanced mobile robotics solutions for logistics applications, boosting efficiency in the supply chain and in warehouse management.
Mechanical design: implementing techniques an technologies for mechanical design to optimise the structure and performance of mobile units, stacker cranes and storage systems.
Storage systems: developing and implementing efficient automated storage systems including racks, shelving and inventory management systems.
Linear conveyor systems: technologies to allow the efficient transport of products on production lines or in warehouses.
Mobile units: AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) to perform automated logistics tasks.
Control design: control systems for stacker cranes, AMRs and other mobile devices, allowing precise, safe operation.
Industrial software system: for efficient management and supervision of production and logistics processes.
Navigation: advanced navigation systems to allow precise autonomous mobility for mobile devices in industrial environments.
5G communications: integrating 5G technology to ensure fast, reliable connectivity between mobile units, by allowing real-time data transmission.
Smart vision systems: implementing computer vision systems and image processing technologies to improve the perception and decision-making of mobile systems.
Artificial intelligence: the use of AI algorithms for automated decision-making, predictive analysis and constant improvement of processes.
Management software system: to optimise logistics and storage by providing tools for analysis and control.
IoT, monitoring and predictive systems: incorporating the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor and compile data in real time, allowing predictive analysis and constant optimisation of logistics processes.
