The fourth industrial revolution, in which we are immersed today, entails a series of dizzying transformations that provide endless business and professional possibilities that we have barely begun to intuit.
Our way of thinking about the industry and work has begun to change significantly, and will continue to do so even more in the coming years. That is why it is essential that we begin to imagine what the factory of the future will be like. That is what DFactory Barcelona proposes, a center created to develop and promote industry 4.0. DFactory is an ecosystem that brings together large business corporations, startups, innovation centers and laboratories so that they can establish synergies that provide revolutionary digital solutions to companies in the process of digital transformation.
The companies that we find in this node of industry 4.0 in southern Europe work in cutting-edge technological fields such as robotics, sensors, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, 3D printing or advanced manufacturing. DFactory is housed in a 17,000 m2 building promoted by the Barcelona Free Zone Consortium (CZFB) and designed by TurullSørensen Arquitectos, together with PGI-Torrella.
Inspired by the industrial tradition of the neighborhood, this prestigious Barcelona studio has created a meeting place that facilitates, throughout its four floors, the relationship between people and machines as a reflection of a new industry, in a series of open, diaphanous spaces. and digital.
The center is fully committed to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, as confirmed by the Leed Gold certification, which certifies that the building has been built under eco-efficiency and sustainability criteria. It has green, useful and energy-producing roofs, as well as a reusable steel structure and a roof with photovoltaic panels.
The facades have been treated to take advantage of the climate: the south side has a glass treatment to create effective solar protection according to the inclination of the sun and reduce energy consumption in the interior climate.
At this time, DFactory has 80% occupancy. 30 companies have settled in the building and about 500 people work. All of them have as a sign of identity the desire to put technological innovation at the service of the progress of society. And also the spirit of establishing synergies with other companies to collaborate on common projects.
Thus, we find a company like Ariño Duglass, dedicated to the design, manufacture and marketing of transformed glass for its application in the construction and railway sectors; or with AsorCAD, a specialist in scanning, printing and 3D design, inversion engineering and metrology, present in sectors such as automotive or orthopedics and medicine.
3D printing, for the industrial, health or education sectors, is also Mastertec’s field. Siocast applies this same advance to a new plastic injection technology in silicone molds, while Statasys offers innovative 3D printing solutions for sectors such as aerospace, automotive and healthcare. Windforce 3D, for its part, is in charge of making its clients’ designs a reality through a powerful network of 3D printing and advanced manufacturing service providers.
Alisys promotes the digitalization of organizations through technological solutions in areas such as cloud, AI, blockchain or robotics, to simplify communication and operation processes, optimize resources and improve results. HP manufactures and markets hardware and software, and provides IT support services, while NTT Data offers technology consulting services to accompany clients in their digital development.
Leitat is committed to improving the competitiveness of the DFactory ecosystem, working in areas such as the development of new materials or green energy. The scientific and technical consultancy Amphos, for its part, provides innovative solutions with high added value to environmental problems. On Robot manufactures collaborative robotics solutions, such as Picvisa, which designs, develops and produces selection and classification equipment for recoverable materials. And the independent consulting firm Malena Engineering provides engineering, management and software development services. Hubmaster manufactures warehouse automation solutions and Innovae develops projects based on augmented reality and virtual reality.
The security, certification and traceability of the Internet of Things is the field of IMHOIT, while, at Nexiona, they are experts in providing tools to make decisions in real time based on what happens in the real world in industrial facilities and real estate assets. .
The healthcare sector is one of the most benefited by industry 4.0. Witeklab offers radio technology solutions in the field of construction and structural health monitoring. And VDM Health develops software for the healthcare sector using intelligence and computer vision technologies. Girbau, on the other hand, offers specific solutions for laundry that respond to the real needs of each client.
Many of these companies are already establishing collaborations in the great agora of DFactory. And this is just the beginning. The CZFB is already working on a second phase to reach 72,500 m2 of extension, which will allow 1,500 people to work there directly and 5,000 directly. DFactory is not only an essential hub to promote the transformation of the country’s productive framework; It is also the ecosystem in which the great ideas that will shape our future are born.
