In January of this year, the Community of Madrid approved the Cognitive Hospital project, a platform designed for the comprehensive management of hospital infrastructure. 

Sacyr leads the consortium developing this project, which includes participation from Sener Mobility, Fracttal, Cuatro Digital, Open Ingenius, Áptica, and the technology centers of Tecnalia, UPM, and CSIC.

We are already working on developing innovative pilot projects utilizing new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT, advanced algorithms, 7D BIM, Big Data, and more to transform hospital management. 

Sacyr has developed a smart platform that optimizes the building's operation and maintenance processes. Its implementation enhances energy efficiency and improves the air quality within the hospital.

Additionally, a digital twin based on the hospital's BIM model has been developed and will be integrated with the cognitive platform, enabling predictive maintenance.

Furthermore, through augmented reality, it will be possible to obtain information from any hospital facility and system, facilitating building maintenance tasks. 

Additionally, through the use of LiDAR sensors and AI algorithms, alerts will be generated to detect queue formation, aiming to reduce waiting times and improve patient care.

Sener, using artificial intelligence, processes different types of data to predict thermal behavior and the risk of disease transmission through air and water. The system will automatically adjust equipment operation to improve the quality of life for patients and healthcare workers while minimizing energy consumption. 

Fracttal geolocates the strategic assets of hospitals in real time, significantly reducing the search times for healthcare personnel. Its technology enables detailed control over the status, maintenance, and availability of each asset.
Open Ingenius, using virtual reality, creates environments for continuous staff training on occupational risks and emergencies, without disrupting hospital operations or compromising user care quality. 

Cuatro Digital leverages blockchain technology to ensure circularity by certifying the accuracy, accessibility, and transparency of data. It will collect data on construction materials, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions.

Aptica is deploying a new multi-technology communications network throughout the hospital to support all use cases. The result will be a robust and stable network that allows comprehensive connectivity across sensors, systems, and equipment, facilitating daily hospital operations.

European Funding

The Cognitive Hospital project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the ERDF operational program of the Community of Madrid for the period 2021-2027. Implementation will take place at Hospital del Henares (Coslada, Madrid), managed by Sacyr, over a period of three years (2024-2027).

This ambitious project has a budget of €6.1 million, including a €2.9 million grant from the Community of Madrid. These funds are part of the 2023 grant call to enhance public-private cooperation in R&D&I through projects with a significant "tractor" effect.
 

Elena Ferrer, bioindication and bio control tech at the Northeast Tenerife Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The ecosystem created by wastewater and the microorganisms in it, is called activated sludge or mixed liquor. It consists mainly of bacteria, protozoa, metazoans, and fungi. All these beings work together dynamically, creating a true microsociety.

Bioindication encompasses all the information we can extract from the presence or absence of these microorganisms in our mixed liquor. Many of them are closely related to specific environmental variables, such as the physicochemical characteristics of the influent water (BOD, %soluble COD…), the physicochemical characteristics of our mixed liquor (temperature, %volatiles…), and operational characteristics (organic load, sludge age…).

It is a highly effective tool to understand the state of our process and the conditions of our sludge in real-time. Additionally, it helps us prevent and predict potential concerns, such as filamentous bulking or foaming.

We gather information through macroscopy and microscopy. Macroscopy is based on direct observation of both the biological reactors and our sludge in the V30 analysis; we look for the presence of foams, odors, solid loss, waxy layer formation, settling speed, clarified water turbidity, and more.

Microscopy allows to closely watch a fascinating microcosm.

With just a drop of mixed liquor, we can obtain a lot of information about the operation of our plant. Among other things, we will find out if we are conducting proper nitrification, if the organic matter in the wastewater is being removed, if we are injecting enough oxygen, if the sludge age is high, or if we have an overgrowth of filamentous bacteria. All of this is thanks to our bioindicator microorganisms.

Each treatment plant is unique and has its own identity because it is influenced by its particular characteristics, the habits of the population it caters to, and the type of process used. All these factors provide specific conditions for the development of different populations of microorganisms.

We are currently preparing a meeting between various lab techs and plant managers at Sacyr Water to share this knowledge and potentially bring bioindication techniques to many more facilities.