September 2021 marked the sixth anniversary of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identified in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. Countries around the world signed up to this global commitment, which is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Paris Agreement and defines a series of ambitious yet inalienable goals designed to protect the planet’s health and ensure a safe and prosperous existence for its seven-billion-plus inhabitants, especially the most vulnerable.

In recognition of the fact that these goals can only be achieved through engagement and specific action not only on the part of governments, but also civil society and the private sector, Ineco has integrated them into Atenea, its corporate strategy. To this end, every year since 2019 the company has drawn up a dedicated action plan for the 2030 Agenda, based on five action areas: equality, conciliation, sustainability, solidarity and compliance.

Additionally, in May 2021 Ineco created and launched its 2030 Agenda Commissioner, which reports to the President´s Office Directorate. The role of this unit is to coordinate all of the areas of the company that are involved in the 2030 Agenda, draw up Ineco’s annual 2030 Agenda plan, and monitor the progress of its aims.

In extraordinary times like these, properly harnessing our potential is also yielding extraordinary results. With our vocation for innovation and the solid capacity to adapt that we have demonstrated since the very beginning, the current situation has allowed us to consolidate the strengths that set us apart, design new services that respond to emerging needs, and offer the best from our primary asset, the team that makes up Ineco. In short, we are moving forward, growing together.

The role and talent of Spanish engineering has meant that, for the first time in the more than 50 years of our history, we are now operating on all five continents. We have made our entry into Australia as part of the technical team that is promoting the modernisation of Sydney’s commuter network, drawing on Ineco’s extensive experience in the railway sector. In addition to this project, which is a symbolic milestone for all of us, Ineco was also awarded contracts with Rail Baltica and the works for Vilnius airport, both in Europe, the sustainability study for Dammam airport and the integral management of the plan for the Kuwait international airport expansion, in Asia, and the project recently signed in Costa Rica, on the American continent.

In Spain, we continue to focus our work on continuing to grow together with our clients and shareholders, contributing to the maintenance of essential services that seek to guarantee sustainable development, such as the services provided in Spain for Aena related to its carbon footprint and the fight against climate change,the work for ENAIRE, which for the first time successfully tested remote operation of SACTA, and the works and installations for Adif that will enable it to improve the quality of the service and advance in the efforts to bring high-speed rail to Extremadura.

In extraordinary times like these, properly harnessing our potential is also yielding extraordinary results

Ineco’s commitment to developing its talent has enabled it to continue to grow its position as a ground-breaking transport engineering and consultancy firm in the design of innovative and cutting-edge projects. One clear example of this is the international Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award given by Esri, a world leader in software for Geographic Information Systems, which recognises Ineco’s ground-breaking work in Spain using the BIM methodology in a GIS environment when designing a new stretch of highway. Accordingly, this edition includes an article on linear infrastructure projects in several countries where we are applying the BIM methodology. We also cover the Innova Award awarded to Ineco for the EOS project, a software product with unique features previously unavailable on the market.

Lastly, within the framework of our Agenda 2030 Plan, we highlight the importance of Ineco’s compliance programme, an example of our firm commitment to ethics that forms part of our Atenea Strategic Plan, guaranteeing respect for the law and trust amongst our stakeholders. Compliance is a culture that enables us to continue growing together to continuously improve our company, avoiding risks and producing legal security.

The amendment of the Spanish Criminal Code means that legal entities, such as Ineco, can be held criminally liable for certain criminal offences, for those actions or omissions in the course of their business carried out by any of their employees, managers or members of their Board of Directors, on its behalf and for its direct or indirect benefit. In order to prevent criminal proceedings from being brought against the company or any of its employees, the company, in accordance with its Standards of Integrity, Transparency and Commitment, has implemented a Programme for the Prevention of Criminal Accusations, or Compliance Programme, the aim of which is to guarantee the duty of vigilance and control in the company, as the only way of protecting itself from possible criminal charges in the event of irregular conduct.

Compliance is the specific function that enables companies to detect and manage the risks of criminal non-compliance with the internal and external regulatory obligations of their business sphere, mitigating the risks of criminal charges and possible penalties or sanctions arising from non-compliance. This function is carried out by means of a series of appropriate procedures and the establishment of policies of actions in certain areas, making it necessary to implement a series of rules and internal controls in the company.

The Organisation and Management Model provides a structure for prevention of infractions through the creation of the Regulatory Compliance Committee (CCN), as well as an obligation to report or denounce, through the creation of the Compliance Channel for complaints or inquiries and a training programme on compliance.  The CCN is made up of six members appointed by the Board of Directors, and is the body responsible for resolving all doubts or queries raised by employees, as well as for investigating complaints about possible prohibited conduct. They operate in confidentially and independently. All members have undergone compliance training in order to enable them to perform their duties more effectively.

The Compliance Channel

Ineco has a Complaints and Queries Channel (Compliance Channel) available on its intranet, where employees can report to the CCN any events or conduct of which they are aware that are suspected to fall outside of the company’s ethical standards and could constitute a criminal offence. Since the implementation of the Compliance Programme, 100% of the staff has been invited to take part in the training programme,  Plan for the Prevention of Criminal Accusations, which is compulsory for all members of the company, including workers, managers and members of the Board of Directors, as well as temporary staff. Specific training has also been introduced for the staff of subsidiaries and branch offices. This Organisation and Management Model applies to Ineco, as a legal entity, as well as to the following individuals: company directors and managers; executives, either individually or as members of a professional association; and workers, regardless of their position or the type of employment contract, including interns and staff provided to the company by temporary employment agencies. In addition to the above, the Organisation and Management Model for the Prevention of Criminal Offences has been extended to Ineco’s suppliers, through the publication on the corporate website of the company’s Catalogue of Prohibited Conduct, and a responsible statement that all suppliers must sign and submit as part of the administrative documentation of each procurement dossier.

Ineco is firmly committed to ethics, and creating a genuine culture of compliance is part of the company’s DNA. Ineco’s Compliance Programme has a dual value: it guarantees respect for legality and trust in its stakeholders, and it is a mechanism for exonerating or mitigating the company’s criminal liability if certain criminal offences are committed by members of the organisation. In its desire for ongoing review and improvement, and within the scope of the objectives set out in the Atenea Strategic Plan, the CCN has proposed two new actions: the implementation of anonymous reporting in the Compliance Channel and the preparation of a statement of responsibility.

Compliance is a culture that not only avoids risks and creates legal certainty, but also helps to improve the company. Ineco is compliance.