The Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation (AECO) sector is living a complete revolution. The speed of new digital technologies is outstanding, providing new tools to the sector each year. Nevertheless, while the raising of new technologies could be assumed as an upgrading of the sector, their implementation in real projects entail multiple problems. Professional companies have their own procedures and working methodologies, where trying to implement new technologies, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) or Artificial Intelligence (AI), demands new technical profiles. Therefore, current sector demands new digital skills and competences. In this regard, new training courses on new technologies are a great opportunity to upgrade digital skills. This project details the experience of teaching two courses at the Universidad Politécnica Madrid (UPM), financed by the Ministry of Transports and Sustainable Mobility and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience plan of the European Union. Courses were focused on developing and implementing digital tools based on new technologies. First course, called “BIM expert for design, management and operation in the transport sector”, entails BIM modelling, design and management. Second course, called “Computer programming oriented to the management and maintenance of the transport sector, logistics and related infrastructure”, focuses on new digital tools, own software development and programming language implementation. The novelty of the project is based on new digital needs of the AECO sector and new formation provided. Courses were taught to multiple kinds of technical profiles, i.e. Civil Engineers, Architects or Industrial Engineers, each one with specific digital needs. Main results of the project were: (1) Recovery of specific technical needs, (2) upgrading digital skills of professional profiles, and (3) developing new tools according to their sector. This is possible because both courses use the project-based learning methodology, which enable and require students to develop a final project based on their newly acquired digital skills.

Keywords: Building Information Modelling (BIM), Digital competences, Artificial Intelligence (AI), AECO sector, Digitalization.