The Award For Most Innovative SME Goes To Smartive

The new horizon award for the most innovative SME was awarded to Smartive, a start-up from Barcelona developing intelligent platforms to improve the efficiency of wind generation, at the European Enterprise Network Conference 2016.

Smartive received the award for its advanced cloud-based, real-time and low cost data processing solution that diagnoses windmill failures and performance issues. The software provides easy access to wind generation information for users via smart devices including phones and tablets.

The company’s future plans include scaling its technology with enhanced communication tools, the ability to sync data from multiple devices and process more information. Smartive is also developing a solution that will anticipate unplanned changes in operations and increase wind farm productivity by more than 10 per cent. This increase in productivity represents an improvement of €70 million turnover for companies in the EU and €200 million worldwide.

Smartive is supported by the InnoEnergy Highway, a programme to support start-ups to commercial success. InnoEnergy, the innovation engine for sustainable energy across Europe, has invested a total of €110,000 in Smartive, and is providing mentoring services and commercial wind power contacts across Europe. The company is currently helping Smartive to internationalise its business with a focus on Germany, the UK and North America.

This award demonstrates the huge potential of Smartive’s solutions as it speeds towards commercialisation

“The support of the InnoEnergy Highway has driven Smartive towards this phenomenal success. This award demonstrates the huge potential of Smartive’s solutions as it speeds towards commercialisation,” says Josep-Miquel Torregrosa, business creation officer for InnoEnergy Iberia.

“Smartive is tapping into a huge global market. According to the European Commission’s Executive Agency for SMEs turbine failures cost the industry about €700 million in Europe and €2.9 billion globally. These costs are tripled when operation costs are accounted for.”

Winners were announced at the prestigious ceremony, which took place in Bratislava, Slovakia last night. Smartive’s New Horizon Award was presented by Ms Kaja Kallas, Estonian MEP for the European Parliament, and Ms Kristin Schreiber, Director for SME Policy and COSME for the European Commission.

Jordi Cusido, CEO for Smartive, says: “The wind sector is missing out on substantial profits, and our solution could help to invigorate the industry’s financial outlook. In these unfavourable economic times, the only way wind generation can remain profitable is to improve the efficiency of maintenance and operation processes – which is precisely the solution that we provide.”

Smartive is also supported by ACCIÓ, the Agency for Business Competitiveness from the Government of Catalonia. The organisation provided funding and supported Smartive in the development of an outstanding proposal for the SME Instrument, the EU research and innovation programme helping innovative small firms with high growth potential, while introducing business coaching.