WIDMO and Ferrovial: from curated matchmaking to an operational pilot

The Polish start-up WIDMO Spectral Technologies, supported by the EIC Accelerator, has begun a technical pilot with the Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial to test advanced subsurface intelligence for infrastructure planning. The pilot emerged after WIDMO participated in the European Innovation Council’s Corporate Partnership Programme and pitched at the EIC Multi-Corporate Day in Madrid in June 2025. The test campaign focused on two sites in Spain and aimed to verify whether WIDMO’s spectral ground penetrating radar and analytics can deliver practical, preconstruction subsurface insight in complex urban conditions.

How the collaboration formed

Ferrovial identified specific construction and infrastructure innovation challenges and worked with the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme to scout solutions. WIDMO was among 18 EIC-backed companies invited to present at the Madrid event. Following pitch coaching, one-to-one meetings and technical assessments, Ferrovial selected WIDMO for a pilot that would evaluate the startup’s technology under real project constraints. The EIC provided structured support across scouting, selection, preparation and the pilot’s setup.

Pilot objectives, sites and immediate outcomes

Ferrovial and WIDMO executed data collection and analysis during a field phase in February 2026. The pilot concentrated on two settings. The first was the Paseo de la Castellana urban tunnel in Madrid where the need was to understand the soil cover above an existing tunnel and detect anomalies that might affect safety or construction planning. The second was Ferrovial Lab at the Machinery Park in Seseña where the team assessed soil stability and mapped utility routes in a controlled experimental environment.

Ferrovial reported that the pilot achieved four out of five defined aims. The activities identified utilities crossing the area, quantified tunnel depth, and mapped loose soil zones. Ferrovial emphasised that the pilot was intended to assess practical usability under operational constraints rather than to draw definitive conclusions about every capability.

Why subsurface intelligence matters for infrastructure

Incomplete or inaccurate knowledge of underground conditions is a persistent source of cost overruns, delays and safety risks in construction and civil engineering. Noninvasive, higher fidelity subsurface imaging can improve planning certainty, reduce contingency and limit invasive exploratory work. For urban infrastructure projects, accurate mapping of utilities, voids and soil variability is particularly valuable because of the high cost of surprises in congested built environments.

Technical caveats and adoption hurdles

The pilot’s positive results are a necessary step in commercialising advanced geophysical methods but they do not eliminate the need for independent validation, comparative studies, and industry standards. Several technical and institutional issues must be addressed before widescale adoption.

Programme context and EIC role

The European Innovation Council provides grants, acceleration services and investment through the EIC Fund. Its Corporate Partnership Programme is a targeted Business Acceleration Service that dates back to 2017. The EIC’s stated goal for such programmes is to accelerate the market uptake of European deep tech by validating breakthrough solutions in real world environments and building the confidence needed for commercial agreements and industrial adoption.

The EIC provides curated matchmaking, pitch coaching, access to investors and business acceleration services such as the venture client format used in the WIDMO‑Ferrovial case. Numbers published by the EIC vary by source and time period, which is typical for multi-year programmes with rolling activities. The core point is that the Corporate Partnership Programme is intended to reduce the time and risk required for large firms to test novel solutions while giving startups access to demanding customers and operational testbeds.

What comes next and the implications for European deep tech

Ferrovial and WIDMO will need to translate pilot findings into clear statements about detection thresholds, accuracy rates and the conditions under which the system succeeds or fails. For WIDMO, wider commercial traction will depend on repeatable validations, integration with engineering workflows and procurement acceptance. For Ferrovial, the value is in a potential reduction of subsurface risk and faster decision making when planning or executing complex projects.

More broadly, this pilot spotlights how EU innovation instruments can support later stage validation through corporate pilots and venture clienting. These are important mechanisms for turning grant‑backed research into fielded industrial capability. However funders, corporates and startups should avoid overstating capabilities from single pilots. Independent benchmarking, transparent reporting on limitations, and attention to procurement and liability are essential if such technologies are to move from promising demonstrations to routine industry practice.

Voices from the project

Ferrovial framed the engagement as a practical evaluation rather than a conclusion. An innovation lead described the pilot as a way to assess potential and limitations under operational conditions. WIDMO said their objective is to provide clearer preconstruction pictures of what lies beneath the surface by combining spectral GPR and advanced analytics. Both sides stressed that pilots like this are about reducing uncertainty so that firms can decide whether to adopt or invest at scale.

Further reading and resources

For more on the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme, the EIC Business Acceleration Services and the broader EIC funding and investment framework consult the EIC and EISMEA pages. Independent geophysical literature on spectral GPR, tomographic inversion and borehole calibration is recommended for practitioners who want to compare vendor claims with peer reviewed benchmarks.