The Monitoring Commission for Collective Bargaining of State-Owned Companies (CSNCEP) has decided to endorse the proposal presented by ISDEFE involving the allocation of the salary increase for 2019 laid out in Royal Decree 24/2018 of 21 December, which approves urgent measures in the area of salaries in public-sector companies; specifically, a salary increase of 2.25% (from 1 January to 30 June 2019) and of 2.50% (from 1 July to 31 December 2019).

Current salaried staff at the company will receive the increase and any back pay on the payment date reported by Management.

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), a national research organisation in the United States that provides support for robotic space missions and Earth sciences missions, and that is operated by NASA under contract with Caltech, thanked the staff of the MDSCC (Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex) located in Robledo de Chavela, Madrid, for their leadership, technical skills and dedication to the mission entrusted to them during this extremely difficult COVID-19 pandemic, the likes of which is without precedent in history.

During this period of confinement, Isdefe has launched “various initiatives to gather ideas and insights for application in the future”.

With these words Isdefe CEO Francisco Quereda began the online seminar about the Express Tele-iNNOVATION Contest organised by Isdefe. The seminar was broadcast on Isdefe’s YouTube channel on 30 April to present the results from Stage 1 of this brainstorming contest, the innovation management tools used, the processes to follow with the ideas submitted and explanations from the winners of the selected innovation ideas.

The children of Isdefe’s employees have been able to attend the webinar and training sessions organised by the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility unit, which are intended to promote an interest in science and technology in young people.

With a total of 310 families signed up, this campaign has broadcast six webinars, taught by the Isdefe volunteers who already took part in the “11 February Initiative – International Day of Women and Girls in Science”.

Jesús Alonso, Director of Business Development at Isdefe, and José Manuel Hesse, Director of Operations at Isdefe and member of COIAE, took part in this first virtual workshop held on 6 May by the Official Association of Aeronautical Engineers of Spain (COIAE).

Titled “The Future of the Aeronautical Sector in the Post COVID-19 Era”, it analysed the various measures that should be taken to ensure all the agents involved can overcome the crisis in the sector, as well as the recovery outlook and the future role of industry in air transport.

The company's Training and Education Unit has adjusted its activity to provide employees with the training and skills necessary to adapt to different ways of working (telecommuting, remote work, shifts, etc.) with a view to maintaining activity and sustaining the services that Isdefe provides.

This effort is based on three keys:

.- Training in telework skills.

.- The conversion of training slated to online mode, and the expansion of the range of courses offered to employees.

In coordination with NASA and INTA, the Isdefe team that are responsible for operating the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC) in Robledo de Chavela have adopted contingency measures during the health emergency to ensure the continuity of essential communications services with space exploration missions. The station in Madrid, along with those in Goldstone (California) and Canberra (Australia), make up the American agency’s Deep Space Network (DSN).

The Military Emergencies Unit (UME) has been deployed since the start of the current COVID-19 health crisis as part of #OperaciónBalmis. Active throughout Spain, the UME is taking part in this operation with personnel and resources from all of its units, with its main tasks involving enforcement, disinfection and logistical support.

Isdefe is one of the companies that sponsored this first edition of the Pioneras_IT 2020 Award, organised by the Mujer IT working group of the Association of Telecommunications Engineers (COIT).

María Jesús Prieto-Laffargue is the first woman to receive this award, thanks to her extensive professional experience and numerous accolades in various fields of professional endeavour and in the practical application of engineering, which have made her a leading figure in telecommunications engineering both nationally and abroad.