VIAS Y CONSTRUCCIONES SA

Their core work

VIAS is a large Spanish construction company based in Madrid that brings industrial construction and infrastructure expertise to EU research projects. They specialize in applying digital construction technologies — BIM, 3D printing, robotics, and digital twins — to real building and infrastructure challenges. Their work spans new construction methods (including large-scale 3D printing of building components), energy-efficient building renovation, and railway infrastructure monitoring. They serve as a real-world testbed and end-user for advanced construction automation technologies developed in research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

VIAS entered H2020 in 2016 with a focus on BIM simulation for transport infrastructure (INTERMODEL EU) and pioneering large-scale 3D printing for construction (HINDCON, which they coordinated). From 2017 onward, their focus shifted toward energy-efficient building renovation (REZBUILD), railway asset monitoring (SIA), and increasingly sophisticated digital construction — integrating real-time tracking, digital twins, and robotics on construction sites (BIMprove, 2020). The trajectory shows a clear move from basic BIM and manufacturing methods toward integrated digital construction ecosystems combining sensors, AI, and automation.

VIAS is moving toward fully digitalized construction sites where BIM, robotics, and real-time monitoring converge — expect future interest in AI-driven construction management and autonomous building processes.

How they like to work

VIAS primarily participates as a partner (4 of 5 projects) rather than leading consortia, though they did coordinate HINDCON — their largest-funded project. With 55 unique partners across 15 countries, they operate in broad, diverse consortia rather than repeating the same partners. This profile suggests they function as an industry end-user and validation partner — bringing real construction sites and operational knowledge to research-driven projects.

VIAS has built a broad European network of 55 partners across 15 countries through just 5 projects, indicating participation in large consortia. Their reach spans well beyond the Iberian Peninsula into a truly pan-European collaboration footprint.

What sets them apart

VIAS stands out as a large construction company that actively engages in R&D — most firms their size treat EU research as peripheral, but VIAS has invested consistently across BIM, robotics, 3D printing, and energy renovation. Their coordination of HINDCON shows they can lead ambitious manufacturing-construction crossover projects, not just participate. For consortium builders, they offer something rare: a major construction firm willing to provide real sites, real workflows, and real validation for emerging construction technologies.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HINDCON
  Only project VIAS coordinated, with their largest funding (EUR 622K) — focused on an ambitious hybrid 3D printing machine for large-scale industrial construction.
• BIMprove
  Their most recent project (2020-2023) combines digital twins, mobile robotics, UAVs, and human-robot collaboration for automated construction progress monitoring — represents the frontier of their expertise.
• REZBUILD
  Longest-running project (2017-2022) with substantial funding (EUR 440K), bridging construction technology with energy efficiency through NZEB renovation and 3D-printed façades.