The main goal of this research project initiated by the Sorigué business group is to develop electricity-generating components using piezoelectric patches that can be extensively embedded in road surfaces.
 
The project is funded by the Centre for Industrial Technology Development (CDTI), an institution belonging to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and has a budget of 502,303 euros for two years of research.
 
The initiative, developed wholly by Sorigué and headed by its research laboratory, features collaboration by the Laboratory for Technological Innovation of Structures and Materials (LITEM) of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and Axer, a company from the same business group specialising in electronics and electrical systems, and capable of designing energy collection structures.

The research taking place under the title “Development of an electric power generation system using piezoelectric generators embedded in roads: Piezoroad”, seeks, unlike other existing technologies, to locate the operating point of vehicles and make electric generators independent of the pavement.
 
The idea behind this project is to respond to the need for a surface-level installation, alongside the paving process, which allows vehicles to drive freely and does not cause any discontinuity on the road surface.
 
Sorigué’s research laboratory, created in 2010, is part of its Materials division. It has a highly qualified technical team and is provided with the most up-to-date equipment and the latest material testing technologies. The laboratory’s work is divided among the areas of control, design and research.