"Jumping into the unknown to start our own project" Interview with the 4 friends who created Secmotic

Innovation, development and safety. Words which are set in stone in the heads of a group of experts who have gone from development and research, to cloud computing, big data & machine learning, and finally information safety and graphic design. That is, broadly, what makes up Secmotic Innovation.

One day, three friends (José Benítez, Carlos Corrales and Pablo Campos) decided to give up their jobs and start out on the long road to entrepreneurship. Shortly after creating their company, Jaser Abdel-Kader joined the group, which has now become Secmotic. We talk with them about their recent award, which makes them the first winners of Ferrovial’s “Build Up!” Open Innovation challenge:

Were you in any way scared at leaving your jobs and setting up your own company?

Pablo Campos: The moment at which we took the decision was critical: we had no great family responsibilities, and this helped lighten the load of leaving a job and jumping into the unknown to start our own project. Our dreams and hopes, and the will to do something great for ourselves, weighed more than the uncertainty and the vertigo that are always there when starting out on a new venture.

What is a normal day at your company like?

José Benítez: We work in the office in the mornings, as we are committed to promoting a culture of facilitating work/life balance. We believe that a happy person is a better worker and has a positive effect on the rest of the Secmotic family members.

We start at 8.00, and our first activity is a 10-minute meeting with the team to provide an update of what we are working on. We talk of what we did the previous day and what we will be doing this morning. If anyone experienced any problems, these are explained and we all propose solutions.

Every two weeks we organise an event to provide a deeper analysis of each project we are working on, and at least once a month the management team gets together to analyse the general condition of the company and to plan a global strategy.

Secmotic Team

What makes Secmotic different from the rest of the competition?

Carlos Corrales: We believe that what makes it stand out from the rest of the companies in the sector is a balance between the three strengths that allow us to provide our clients with a global technological services portfolio in the field of the IoT.

1. Firstly, we work with the latest benchmark technologies in the sector and cover all levels of service: from the connection of devices and sensors, to the development, commissioning and maintenance of control and monitoring interfaces, through techniques for the analysis of Big Data and artificial intelligence.
2. Secondly, we have a highly specialised team in each of the mentioned fields: electronic engineers, designers, IT engineers for development and programming of applications, specialists in information safety and QA officers.
3. Moreover, we work with the client’s needs in mind, using agile work methodologies such as Scrum which allow us to achieve results which can be evaluated at a very early stage.

What are your short-term aims?

Jaser Abdel- Kader: We want to continue to grow by developing new and innovative solutions which will enable us to solve the problems and challenges faced by our clients. At the same time, however, we want to consolidate a long-standing and mutually trusting relationship with all of our clients, so that we can work hand-in-hand to achieve a true digital revolution in their respective businesses.

A goal for the future?

Carlos Corrales: To become a world benchmark in the field of the Internet of Things, working on the front line of society’s digital transformation, providing innovative and effective solutions for the development of smart cities and a connected industry.

What does winning the first Ferrovial Build Up! Innovation Challenge mean for you?

Jaser Abdel-Kader: For us, it is an incredible opportunity to work with a company like Ferrovial, which is a global benchmark. We know that Ferrovial has been committed to innovation for a long time, and the fact that we have won this first challenge is a source of pride for us and motivates us to strive even harder to be at the level expected of us.