Description

IDiA – Research, Development and Innovation in Aragon is an association created in 2004. Its member organizations are big companies based in Aragon (Spain) and most relevant institutions in the region. IDiA’s mission, according to its Strategic Plan is “Becoming a collaborative space, where innovative initiatives can be developed. These will lead to competitive advantages for member companies and to a sustainable social development”.

IDiA is a horizontal cluster. Its member companies are leaders in a broad array of economic sectors: the automotive industry (GM Spain, Johnson Controls, Mann+Hummel Ibérica, Valeo), sports apparel, footwear and accessories (Adidas), the toy industry (Imaginarium), the pharmaceutical industry (Alliance Healthcare), the paper industry (Saica), mattresses and bed products (Pikolin), engineering (Taim WESER), home furnishings (ARC Distribution), elevators and escalators (Schindler), professional radio communications equipment (Teltronic), etc. Member institutions include public administrations (Zaragoza City Council), business organization (the Chamber of Commerce, CREA – the Regional Confederation of Businessmen of Aragon); financial institutions (Caja de Ahorros de Inmaculada) and universities (Universidad de Zaragoza and Universidad San Jorge).

IDiA was founded under the conviction that innovation in general, and technological innovation in particular, plays a fundamental role in productivity growth and economic development. Its objective has been clearly defined: generating new knowledge and fostering innovation, through the development of new projects in cooperation and spreading them out to companies from all over Aragon and Spain. IDiA is a forum where companies and other organizations can share ideas and projects, to take full advantage or the existing synergies among them. In this way, new joint innovation projects and initiatives are launched, aimed at fostering business growth through innovation and the adoption of TIC in processes.

In 2009, IDiA’s work and trajectory were acknowledged: the organization was officially qualified as AEI (Agrupación Empresarial Innovadora – excellent innovative cluster) by the Spanish Ministry for Industry, Tourism and Commerce. This represents a big opportunity for the organization, since the Ministry channels through innovative clusters an increasing percentage of its subventions for innovation.

During these years, IDiA has developed a significant number of collaborative projects, among which we can highlight:
- Electronic Invoicing, in which with 12 companies collaborated to develop a solution at a very low cost for the companies and totally free for their providers and clients, estimated on about 100.000 companies in Spain. The electronic billings are transmitted as email attachments.
- Telecommunication studies and agreements with suppliers, one of them now in negotiation to establish one common data center to share services and costs, creating one neutral point of communication to internet in Zaragoza.
- Our collaborative platform IDiANet is used both as internal collaboration tool and as test platform to develop business solutions. This platform supports the developing of projects and the day-to-day communication between associates, which is very common and full of small success.
- A big list of common courses and training sessions in very specialized areas. IDiA has also made possible the developing of two different masters about ICT and Innovation, very focused in our organizational needs. We achieve really big savings through the coordination in these activities.
- Global negotiation with important and common providers, as SAP in Spain. This way in 2009 we achieve an agreement to frozen the general increase in maintenance prices (6%) in Aragón.
- Print on Demand agreement, internal Benchmarking, Warehouse management systems, Voice over IP business intelligence collaborations and many more subjects have been treated at some length during these years.

At this moment, IDiA is developing projects in these areas:
- A protocol gateway between MMS/OSI and MMS/TCP, with General Motors as project leader.
- Certified Electronic Digitalization as a way to reduce the paper in the business processes.
- Use of the electronic DNI (or other generic smart card) as unique identification for the whole business activities.
- Real application of the Web 2.0 and collaborative tools to our business environment.