Versa Real Projects was born as a spin off of the company Soltec Ingenieros to address industrialised modular construction in housing, catering and retail or specific solutions such as hospitals. They have received the SEUA-Mindtech award for their contribution to the circular economy.
Since 2018, Versa Real Projects has designed and manufactured more than 130 prefabricated modules with a turnover of more than 3.5 million euros. With headquarters in Vigo and a delegation in Barcelona, its market is mainly focused on Spain and Portugal but they are working on projects abroad in countries such as Italy, Guinea, Congo or Panama, from where they have been interested in their products.
1.What is the added value of your company?
The most important differentiating factor compared to other companies in the sector is that we have a very powerful technical department made up of architects and engineers capable of tackling any technical challenge. In this sense, the more technically complicated the project, the more potential VERSA can provide, both in the project phase and in the execution phase of the work.
2.You have been awarded in the Circular Economy category of the SEUA – Mindtech Awards for your modular constructions from shipping containers. What does this award mean to you?
This award is very important for us. Like many companies, we have been going through a very difficult period with mobility restrictions, which meant that many projects came to a standstill.
In the last few months, projects have been reactivated and this reactivation has been added to this award from the SEUA – Mindtech Awards in circular economy, which is a double boost for our company.
The fact that there is a circular economy category in the SEUA – Mindtech Awards is important because we believe that the circular economy is fundamental for the growth of society.
Companies have an obligation, at least a moral one, to contribute to the maintenance of a welfare state in society. The use of recovered elements in construction and the use of local components and materials not only reduces the carbon footprint of transport, but also stimulates the local economy, generates development and knowledge that makes us more competitive, guarantees production with policies of equality, sustainability and environmental protection that cannot be guaranteed in other countries where, a priori, production is more economical.
3. Do you think that this alternative to traditional construction is the future trend?
Modular construction is clearly an alternative of the future, and of the present, in the construction sector due to its many advantages, among which we can highlight the reduction of waste and polluting emissions, the reduction of execution times, the improvement of the quality of execution and of the materials used or the reduction of unforeseen events in terms of time and budget, among others.
But there is a determining factor, and that is that there is no generational change in the construction sector.
The new generations are not joining the construction sector and companies are finding it very difficult to find qualified workers. Finding workers as assemblers or integrators in a manufacturing plant, with more standardised tasks and the use of robots for modular construction will be the way to solve the lack of skilled labour and be able to meet market demand.
4.How do you face the recovery/reactivation in the new scenario imposed by COVID-19? How do you see the year 2021-2022 for the metal industry and its associated technologies in Spain in particular and in the Iberian Pole in general?
Once the most complicated stage of the pandemic has been overcome, we can see how promoters are once again reactivating their projects, and we can cautiously say that we are optimistic about the new scenario. The battle against COVID-19 is far from being won and we have to get used to this new reality and live with it.
We understand that the injection of extraordinary funds launched by the European Union in the coming years will help to boost the national economy in all sectors and the metal industry will be ready.