'Campo Grande, Valladolid’s green engine' is a pioneering project in Spain that will integrate state-of-the-art techniques for its sustainable management and create a digital twin to monitor the park in real time.
• The City Council of Valladolid, Horse Powertrain, and IDForest back this project, applying innovation to a century-old park with a future-focused vision, set to serve as an example for other green spaces.
• 'Valladolid Mission City' and 'Valladolid, Demonstrator City' are the programs driving this public-private innovation partnership in the green heart of the city.
The City Council of Valladolid, Horse Powertrain, and IDForest presented today the project 'Campo Grande, Valladolid’s green engine' as a pioneering initiative that will transform the historic Valladolid park into a national benchmark for environmental innovation, urban sustainability, and smart management of green spaces.
The city center’s green heart—spanning over 11 hectares, with more than 150 years of history, and home to over 90 species of trees and shrubs—will serve as a living space to test the most advanced forest conservation and regeneration techniques.
Cutting-edge digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins, mapping, genetic sequencing, and the latest advances in biotechnology and microbiology will be integrated into the management of Campo Grande. "It will be the first urban park in Spain to incorporate these tools to monitor, understand, and regenerate its biodiversity from the soil to the treetops," as highlighted by the Mayor of Valladolid, Jesús Julio Carnero, during the signing of the collaboration agreement, in the presence of Carlos Cascajo Vara, ESG Manager at Motores Valladolid (Horse Powertrain), and Jaime Olaizola, CEO and founder of IDForest.
The total budget for the project, promoted by the City Council, amounts to 176,000 euros. Horse Powertrain contributes 109,000 euros as a sponsor, while execution and design are carried out by IDForest, which also contributes 67,000 euros.
The initiative arises from this public-private partnership between the City Council—through the Agency for Innovation and Economic Development, IdeVa, and the Department of Environment, with the Parks and Gardens Service—and the companies Horse Powertrain and IDForest, with the objective of developing a new urban management model supported by science, innovation, data, and nature-based solutions.
Science and Innovation in the heart of Valladolid
Spanning an area of 113,379 square meters, Campo Grande is one of Spain’s most emblematic urban natural spaces. Its plant diversity, the presence of tree specimens cataloged as unique, and its historical, environmental, and social value make it a perfect real-world environment to develop this high-impact pilot project.
Over the next twelve months, the park will become a living stage where this innovative environmental management model will be applied, based on deep knowledge of the soil microorganisms that sustain the health of the entire ecosystem.
Analysis down to the millimeter
In the first phase, a comprehensive biological soil analysis will be conducted to identify microbial communities and assess soil health.
This starting point will allow, through regenerative actions, to strengthen the soil and vegetation, improve water and nutrient retention, and increase the park’s resilience to climate change-related phenomena, such as prolonged droughts, heatwaves, or the emergence of new pests and diseases.
A digital twin to view biodiversity in real time
All knowledge generated during the project will be integrated into an innovative digital twin of Campo Grande, hosted on the project’s own website, which will allow real-time monitoring and visualization of the ecosystem’s evolution. This tool will provide updated information on environmental indicators, biodiversity, soil health, and vegetation status, facilitating data-driven decision-making and bringing science closer to citizens through an interactive and accessible experience.
As a final outcome, the project will culminate in the creation of an Urban Biodiversity Observatory, conceived as a permanent space for monitoring, dissemination, and knowledge transfer in environmental sustainability.
Four pillars to lead urban sustainability
'Campo Grande, Valladolid’s green engine' has four objectives: to innovate, regenerate, connect, and scale, with the vision that this new management model can be replicated in other urban green spaces across Valladolid and other cities.
The participation of Horse Powertrain as a sponsoring entity reinforces its commitment to Valladolid and to driving initiatives that contribute to building more sustainable, healthy, and resilient cities.
For its part, IDForest will lead the scientific and technical execution of the project, contributing its expertise in biotechnology, biodiversity, and ecological restoration.
Valladolid, demonstrator city for environmental innovation
With this project, Valladolid takes a qualitative step forward as a Demonstrator City, providing a real environment for experimentation where public administrations, companies, and research entities collaborate to apply research and innovation to projects with a direct impact on citizens.
The initiative aligns with the objectives of the Valladolid 2030 Mission to advance toward climate neutrality and contribute to the European roadmap on biodiversity and climate change.
Horse Powertrain is a global leader in innovative hybrid and low-emission powertrain systems, offering support to automotive OEMs with a wide portfolio of systems. It operates in Europe, China, and South America, employing over 19,000 people across 18 plants and five R&D centers.
IDForest is an engineering firm specialized in microbiological management and soil health assessment. It studies and applies beneficial microorganisms to enhance fertility, resilience, and ecosystem balance in urban, forest, and agricultural settings. Through a scientific approach and regenerative soil management, it develops sustainable solutions that foster climate change adaptation and the conservation of green spaces, such as urban forests.
