The aim of the service is to strengthen the innovation of SMEs and startups through the transfer of advanced knowledge
The second edition of the mathematical modelling consultancy service has come to an end after months of work. This service has been carried out by the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics – BCAM and has been promoted through Beaz, the public company of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia that offers support to companies and entrepreneurs, with the aim of increasing R&D&I projects in local SMEs and startups through the transfer of advanced knowledge.
“What we at Beaz are looking for through this service is not only for the SMEs in Bizkaia to be aware of the cost of unmanaged data, which is a reality that we consider to have been overcome, but also for them to reflect on the new business opportunities that may arise as a result of this management. In this sense, having agents such as BCAM in our ecosystem and that companies identify them as an ally on this path is also a milestone that we would like to highlight”, explains Laura Autor, Beaz Innovation Coordinator.
The entities that have received advice from BCAM’s Knowledge Transfer Unit (KTU) team have been Airlan Industrial, Solarpack and Tellmewow, in the field of data diagnostics, and ONA Electroerosión, Quilton and SUPRASYS, in fluid dynamic modelling.
“This year, we have collaborated with companies from a wide range of sectors such as advanced manufacturing process improvement, photovoltaic energy prediction and educational video games,” explains Dae-Jin Lee, coordinator of the data advisory service. “It is very enriching for us to be able to contribute our knowledge of data analysis to the innovation of SMEs and startups in Bizkaia. In addition, it is a process that they consider brings great value to companies, “to their previous knowledge we add alternative approaches through mathematical models, statistical techniques that are highly valued by companies and that after the diagnostic service they consider that they can improve the development of their businesses”, he adds. For BCAM’s KTU, it has been a challenge from the outset to collaborate with these companies and transfer mathematical technology to their continuous innovation process.
The service in this second edition has consisted of advice on data diagnosis through advanced statistical analysis, development of predictive models and machine learning techniques and fluid dynamic modelling, where help is offered in the definition and development of numerical models, simulation and process optimisation, and even support in free Computational Fluid Dynamics software.
Imanol Garcia-Beristain, research technician in the CFD Modelling and Simulation group, believes that “the framework of this service is unique for generating new opportunities in SMEs because it gives them the air they need to let themselves be carried away by new proposals whose results we don’t know beforehand”. In this edition, thanks to the collaboration framework established with the Provincial Council of Bizkaia through Beaz, they have been able to carry out a feasibility study of two tools and analyse their strengths and weaknesses. “Being scientific computing tools, they require a high level of development and validation effort, so there is always work to be done at the end of the diagnosis. What we have clearly observed is that the knowledge generated during the project is always useful,” he adds.
About the KTU
The mathematical modelling consultancy is being carried out by members of BCAM’s Knowledge Transfer Unit (KTU), who have extensive experience in the fields of Data Science and CFD. This platform aims to develop mathematical solutions to scientific challenges based on real-life applications and to collaborate with industry to boost fundamental research and knowledge transfer to the business community.