-Both organisations will collaborate in areas of mutual interest, be it in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility or in the fulfilment of their respective objectives, with various projects related to the Road Safety Programme being developed by the abertis foundation, which will be detailed in 2009.

-abertis has begun the collaboration with a financial contribution as support for the “Friends of the Guttmann Institute” initiative, to be allocated to the programme for the “Increase in laboratory equipment for the digital analysis of the gait and body movement of patients affected by a severe physical disability”.

The Managing Director of abertis, Salvador Alemany, and the Director of the Guttmann Institute, Josep Maria Ramírez, have today signed a collaboration agreement which commits both companies to the development of joint projects and activities in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility and in the fulfilment of their respective objectives.

The agreement will take the form of various initiatives in 2009, specifically projects relating to the Road Safety Programme being developed by the abertis foundation. Initially, the agreement entails a financial contribution by abertis as support for the “Friends of the Guttmann Institute” initiative, to be allocated to programmes for the “Increase in laboratory equipment for the digital analysis of the gait and body movement of patients affected by a severe physical disability of neurological origin”. This contribution is a result of the effort made by abertis this year to optimise the financial resources allocated to its Christmas campaign.

Through this agreement, abertis joins the group of partner companies of the Guttmann Institute and it is hoped that its example will act as a stimulus for other major companies to join this “Initiative”, of which companies such as Axa Seguros, Lucta S.A., Gas Natural, Fundación Manpower, Agilent Technologies, Fundación M. Francisca Roviralta, Caja Madrid, Laboratorios Almirall, Inmobiliaria Vall d’Aneu, Autoliv KLE, Caja Navarra and Fundación Adecco already form part.

“Friends of the Guttmann Institute” is an initiative through which people, organisations and companies can cooperate, in a generous and responsible manner, in improving the development of the objectives of the organisation. The programme for the ” Increase in laboratory equipment for the digital analysis of the gait and body movement of patients affected by a severe physical disability of neurological origin” programme, is one of the projects of the Guttmann Institute, the aim of which is the digitalisation and automation of kinematic (movement), kinetic (forces) and neurophysiological (electromyography) research into gait and body movement with the aim of improving the diagnosis and treatment of deficiencies of the locomotive and neuromuscular system.

The agreement also means that abertis – through the agreements it has with well-established companies in the technology sector – will help to achieve the transfer to the Guttmann Institute of specialised software for people with a physical disability, as well as other IT tools.

The collaboration agreement, on the part of abertis, falls within its Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, which establishes a commitment to the involvement of the company in the regions in which it operates and their social fabric, a reflection of the values and priorities that guide its relations with interest groups and its wish to contribute to social development.

About the Guttmann Institute

The Guttmann Institute is a highly specialised hospital devoted to the medical treatment and rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injuries and/or an acquired brain injury. Its extensive experience over 42 years has made it a leading centre in its speciality both nationally and internationally. Patients there are given integrated and personalised specialised treatment with a high level of human, scientific and technical care, through clinical programmes developed by experts in neurological rehabilitation.

Further information: http://www.guttmann.com/

About abertis

abertis is an international group which manages mobility and telecommunications infrastructures through five business areas: motorways, telecommunications infrastructures, airports, car parks and logistics. The Group has a presence in 17 countries in three continents and has established itself as the European leader in infrastructure management and one of the global leaders in this field.

Further information: www.abertis.com/prensa