SPARK Challenge 2026: six innovative solutions move to the next stage

SYSTRA has announced the results of the 2026 SPARK Challenge, its innovation programme designed to identify and accelerate employee-led ideas that address key challenges in transport and infrastructure engineering.

Now in its fourth year, the programme has taken on a new dimension with the launch of the Open SPARK Challenge. Run in partnership with Artefact, this new strand enables SYSTRA to identify solutions developed by start-ups and scale-ups that can help address challenges in transport and infrastructure engineering.

The internal challenge attracted 93 teams from 19 countries, representing a total of 250 employees, while 35 start-ups applied to take part in the Open SPARK Challenge.

Three employee-led projects recognised

Over several weeks, ten employee teams took part in an incubation and training programme, supported by the SPARK team, Artefact and SYSTRA mentors, to turn their ideas into practical solutions. The programme concluded in Paris from 6 to 8 July with a hackathon focused on prototype development, followed by a Demo Day where the teams presented their solutions to the Challenge jury.

Three projects received awards:

AI Agent on VM for FEA Design Automations

Developed by a team based in Australia and the United Arab Emirates, the solution is an AI-powered assistant that automates repetitive tasks related to finite element analysis workflows in a controlled virtual machine environment.

NeuroBIM

Created in Spain, NeuroBIM is an AI agent that connects engineering tools, including BIM platforms, through an intelligent integration layer. It facilitates information retrieval, automates compliance checks and enables knowledge from previous projects to be reused.

SYSTRA Evolve

Developed in Italy, the tool provides a web interface that allows non-programmers to run parametric design workflows and compare variants in real time.

All three projects will join SYSTRA’s innovation portfolio and receive further support as they continue their development.

The awards ceremony in pictures

Three start-ups selected

Of the start-ups that applied to the inaugural Open SPARK Challenge, nine were invited to present their solutions to a SYSTRA jury. Three have now been selected to move forward and present their projects to the Group Executive Committee in October:

Utopia Digital

Coming from Australia, Utopia Digital is developing a solution that connects the various Common Data Environments used on a construction project and automates the flow of information between platforms.

Arlequin AI

The french start-up, Arlequin AI uses artificial intelligence to analyse and structure large volumes of unstructured, multilingual data.

e-Magic

Founded in Canada, e-Magic converts BIM and asset data into an operational and scalable digital twin, supporting predictive maintenance and better asset lifecycle management.

SYSTRA will also continue to explore potential collaboration opportunities with the other shortlisted start-ups.

“The 2026 edition marks a new milestone for our innovation programme. It showcases both the breadth of ideas being developed by our employees and our commitment to accelerating innovation by working with external partners. Our ambition is to turn promising ideas into practical solutions for future projects and the evolving needs of our industry.”
Jovana Kovacevic, SPARK Programme Manager

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