Revelation Prize Actualidad Económica magazine

01 May 2014

Arbórea Intellbird: One year old, the Salamanca company has managed to get Iberdrola into its capital thanks to the creation of the ‘arachnocopter’.

What has a small company from Salamanca, just one year old, developed to have attracted the attention of a large energy group like Iberdrola, and to have been chosen by the Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) as the first private firm to invest in? The answer lies in drones (aerial devices), although Carlos Bernabéu, founder of Arbórea Intellbird, believes that it is more appropriate to call these systems SARP (remotely piloted aerial systems), or Arácnocoptero, the brand created and registered by this entrepreneur, based in the Scientific Park of the University of Salamanca.

Bernabéu created Arbórea Intellbird at the beginning of 2013, and began developing aerial devices to take photos and monitor the nests of pigeons and other birds in cities. “Especially in historic centres like Ávila, where these birds nest and damage the buildings,” he says. “We realised the potential that the device could have and decided to test the wind energy sector. The idea was to capture images of possible cracks or damage to the blades of wind turbines, subjected to extreme weather conditions, such as rain and strong winds,” he describes.

The entrepreneur developed a version of the system based on the original, and thus the Arachnocopter was created, with which he went to wind energy companies such as Gamesa and Enerpal to test it on their wind turbines. From that moment on, Arbórea’s take-off was unstoppable. “We travelled with Enerpal to Ewea, the largest European fair in the sector, held in Frankfurt (Germany), and we attracted the interest of many companies and professionals,” he recalls. Months later came the recognition at home. “Iberdrola and the CDTI have invested 500,000 euros in Arbórea, thus becoming our partners,” explains Bernabéu, who owns 67% of the company.

Once recognised in the wind business, Arbórea’s Arachnocopters are beginning to fly over other areas. “Our devices allow, for example, the detection of possible leaks or breakdowns in oil refineries and water channels,” he points out. Another client is the Enusa group, for which it has created a system aimed at locating leaks in its uranium plants. “Our difference with drone manufacturers is that we are highly specialised in the development of equipment aimed at the industry,” concludes Bernabéu.

Source: Actualidad Económica Magazine