El ITG Technology Centre has hosted the launch meeting at its facilities in A Coruña COMMAND, the Cervera State Network of Research Excellence Focused on developing technologies for coordinating autonomous vehicles by air, land, and sea, the initiative, which received the highest technical score from the CDTI (92,5 out of 100), is now beginning its work with the aim of advancing systems capable of operating autonomously and cooperatively in complex environments.
Led by ITG, the initiative COMMAND It focuses on the development of multimodal autonomous mobility systems capable of coordinating aerial (UAV), ground (UGV), and maritime (USV) vehicles. The goal is to increase the maturity of these technologies so they can move and act in a coordinated manner even in demanding, hostile, or communications-limited environments, in both the civilian and defense and security sectors.
"The development of autonomous systems capable of operating in a coordinated manner by air, land, and sea will be key in the coming years for both national security and numerous civilian applications. These are critical technologies that will allow Spain to strengthen its technological capacity and sovereignty in this area, also facilitating their transfer to industry."
Carlos Calvo Orosa, CEO of ITG
In this context, the network seeks to strengthen national technological sovereignty by developing critical capabilities in autonomous systems. Among its goals is the validation of at least 20 technological subsystems in demanding environments with high levels of technological maturity, a key step for their future operational application.
As coordinating entity, ITG It will lead the development of the command and control platform that will allow the coordination of multiple autonomous vehicles, facilitating the sharing of information in a cybersecure manner and adapting their behavior to what is happening around them, minimizing human intervention, which will be dedicated to supervisory tasks.
The technological work will address three levels of autonomy in an integrated manner: centralized supervised autonomy, distributed autonomy based on network cooperation, and autonomy embedded in each platform through advanced perception systems, AI, and cybersecurity. This combination will enable global platform coordination, autonomous network cooperation, and immediate response from each vehicle in critical environments.
Economic and business impact
The anticipated socioeconomic impact of this initiative will materialize in industrial development, with contract targets exceeding €61 million, and the consolidation of a national ecosystem of over 60 business alliances in critical sectors such as emergency response, logistics, maritime surveillance, and autonomous search and rescue. At the international level, COMANDO will strengthen Spain's participation in European funding programs, while also positioning the network as a European and transatlantic leader in multimodal autonomous mobility with dual applications (in both civilian and military environments).
Technology and defense consortium
COMANDO brings together a consortium led by ITG and of which the Technology Centres are a part CIDAUT (Castile and León), CTAG (Galicia), IBV e ITENE (Valencian Community) and TECNALIA (Basque Country), which will work together on developing solutions for coordinating fleets of autonomous vehicles. The initiative will also include a Defense and Security Advisory Council, made up of representatives from the Armed Forces, the Directorate General of Armament and Material (DGAM), and companies in the sector. This body will help guide developments to facilitate their practical application in both defense and civilian sectors.
ITG, a key player in Spanish R&D&I
The Cervera program, funded by the Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI) of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, promotes excellence in Spanish technology centres through collaborative work in areas strategic to the country's industrial competitiveness. In the 2025 call for proposals, ITG received the highest technical rating and the largest amount of funding, participating in four networks of excellence with a total of €4 million allocated for the next three years, and consolidating its capacity to lead nationwide technology initiatives.