The aim of this initiative is to promote teaching and research activities related to IoT and energy management. With this new chair, the University of Seville now offers 37 corporate chairs.

The IoT Chair will be a collaborative space dedicated to the joint implementation of activities related to training, dissemination and innovation in collaboration with professionals from the Higher Technical School of Engineering , especially those from the Department of Electronic Engineering.

Among those present at the signing ceremony were the Rector of the University of Seville, Miguel Ángel Castro, the General Director of WoodSwallow, Manuel Álvarez, and Professor Antonio Jesús Torralba, a member of the Department of Electronic Engineering at the Higher Technical School of Engineering of the University of Seville and Director of the Chair. 

The rector recalled that “the Internet of Things does not only provide personal assistance, as the world of industry, commerce, and finance is being transformed, digitized, and equipped with intelligence to face new challenges, and the Internet of Things is the enabling engine of these technologies that are transforming the world, the most significant exponent of which is Artificial Intelligence.” 

For Castro, the University of Seville “sees this Chair recognized for the high technological and research level of its university groups , and especially of its Higher Technical School of Engineering.” In this context, he expressed his satisfaction with the leading role of the ETSI and praised the figure of the director of WoodSwallow, a graduate of the University of Seville, who “is a clear example of an entrepreneur who gives back to society, many times over, what it has given him, and is also an example for other young graduates, showing a path to success, promoting the excellence of the university and its capacity for training.” “This Chair is an opportunity for students and research groups to have direct access to a technology with great enabling potential. For our society, it is an opportunity to attract talent and access high-value technology markets.”

During the signing ceremony, the chair's director, Professor Antonio Torralba, emphasized that, “both the University of Seville and WoodSwallow believe that Andalusia must strongly support these industries to be competitive. We must invest in training students in these areas, creating a link between research, teaching, and the market.”

Torralba also emphasized that, “within the world of IoT, smart metering of electricity, gas, and water are areas that will demand a large number of specialized professionals in the coming years. In Andalusia, there are already technology companies seeking this talent, such as WoodSwallow.”. 

For his part, Manuel Álvarez, a Telecommunications Engineer from the University of Seville and founder of WoodSwallow, pointed out that “the value of IoT lies not only in the connection of devices, but also in the new services and business models it facilitates (precision agriculture, Industry 4.0, and smart mobility are some examples). Specifically, one of the industries that will benefit most from IoT is energy, where measurement and communications are fundamental tools for boosting energy efficiency and, consequently, combating climate change.”

Álvarez also explained that the company has a team of about 50 hardware, software and business engineers in Seville with extensive experience in the field of smart energy measurement (most of them graduates of the University of Seville). 

The current energy landscape is increasingly complex and uncertain, driven by various internal and external factors such as the energy transition, climate change, digitalization, and soaring gas and electricity prices (partly due to the COVID-19 crisis and Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine). The convergence of these factors over time is putting pressure on the sector's transition to a more sustainable and efficient model. 

About WoodSwallow 

WoodSwallow is a globally focused technology company founded to improve people's lives through the design of embedded systems and IoT (Internet of Things) products. The company has extensive experience in smart energy management and electric mobility, and a team of over 40 professionals distinguished by their technical expertise, innovative capacity, and flexibility in adapting to the evolving needs of their clients and today's society. WoodSwallow has offices in Seville, Spain, and London, UK.