Students from Universidad de Alcalá are the winners of the fourth edition of the Indra Future Minds Competition

The three students from Universidad de Alcalá have won the fourth edition of the Indra Future Minds Competition, an international university event that is launched by the multinational and based on multiculturalism and the new work methods provided by information technology. For the first time ever, the final phase of the competition took place in Mexico City, where the university students analyzed and proposed solutions for actual Indra projects in the country.

The students competed in the final phase against participants from Universidad Peruana de Ciencias (who earned second place), and in the semifinal phase they competed against teams from Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Mexico) and Universidad Católica del Perú.

In the final, the teams from Universidad de Alcalá and Universidad Peruana de Ciencias stood out thanks to their proposals for defining a sustainable mobility system, addressing cases based on Indra technology in which the multinational has created a number of smart infrastructures that are more efficient, safe and sustainable.

In the semifinal, the university students provided solutions to real-life challenges faced by sectors in which the multinational offers its services and the latest technology, such as the transport and roadway infrastructure industries. Specifically, the students had to define a roadway safety system.

The four finalist teams had to present their proposals to Indra managers as well as to the actual customers of the project/challenge in question. All of the groups stood out in terms of the quality of their work, their technical rigor, their innovative proposals and their communication skills.

The final award for the three winners consists of being hired by the multinational consulting and technology firm at the country subsidiary selected by each team member once they have finished their studies. This will allow the students to live an international experience from the beginning of their professional career, developing a global profile that is currently high in demand.

The awards ceremony was attended by the members of the jury, which included Miguel Baroussem, Project Director at IDEAL (a construction company within the Carso Group); Jose Andrés Calderón Almeida, Director of Toll and Traffic Systems at ISOLUX; Francisco de Anda, President of Rombo Amarillo; Alfonso Reyes, Operations Director of Metrorey; Dr. Luis C. Longares, Rector of Instituto Universitario Tecnológico de los Trabajadores; Agustín Serna Servín, General Secretary of Transport CROC; and Carlos Mendieta, President of the Tlaloc Foundation.

Other jury members included Indra executives, such as Paulino Rodriguez, Director of the Infrastructures Market for Indra in Mexico, and Susana Junqueras, Director of Human Resources for Indra in the country.

During the awards ceremony, Jorge Arduh, CEO of Indra in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, pointed out that "with the Indra Future Minds Competition, the company affirms its commitment to promoting talent and recognizing it as the key element for innovation. In this edition, we have detected a great deal of potential in each proposed idea and we are extremely satisfied with the results. In order to be innovators, it is without a doubt essential to support young talent like the individuals here today.”

In search of the best global talent

The Indra Future Minds Competition began with 16 teams comprised by students from ten countries who are completing their last year of studies or recent graduates in technical fields, such as Telecommunications, Industrial or Computer Engineering. In the first phase, the university students had to solve a number of challenges proposed by Indra and based on actual projects, such as designing a cloud solution for education, testing an integrated international maritime border surveillance system, a complete technological platform for the insurance industry or developing an Earth observation project. The first phase was virtual and multicultural, meaning that the participants had to form teams and work together with students from other countries using technology. Of the 16 teams, only four were selected to present their solutions in person at the final phase in Mexico City.

In this fourth edition of the Indra Future Minds Competition, the participating universities were: Universidade de Sao Paulo y la Universidade Federal de Bahía (Brazil); Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira and Universidad Nacional de Colombia; Universidad Federico Santa María (Chile); Universidad de Alcalá de Henares and Universidad de Deusto (Spain); Universidad de La Salle and Universidad de Filipinas-Diliman (Philippines); Politécnico di Bari (Italy); two teams from Escuela Superior de Cómputo of Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Mexico); Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá; Universidad Peruana de Ciencias and Universidad Católica del Perú; and Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (Portugal).

Commitment to innovation and talent

Innovation is the cornerstone of Indra's business and sustainability, as well as the key difference in the solutions and services it offers. Innovation is based on talent, which is why recruiting, developing and retaining talent is an essential aspect of Indra's sustainability and also a strategic priority. The company has relationships with more than 200 universities and research centers through chairs, agreements and R&D projects, all of which allow Indra to recruit professionals and access new technologies.