Interview with Patricia Monterrey, CTO of Contactel Teleservicios: "The IACONTACTELAGENT project allows us to merge generative AI with human experience thanks to the support of CDTI Innovación and FEDER funds"
Through the IACONTACTELAGENT initiative, the Canarian technology company Contactel is developing an advanced telephone assistance platform based on open-source artificial intelligence and modular architectures. With the backing of CDTI Innovación and European FEDER funds, this project transforms citizen and customer service centres into more efficient environments, freeing human teams from repetitive tasks so they can focus on high-value management.
From its bases in the Canary Islands, with centres in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, Contactel Teleservicios develops technological solutions for companies and public administrations tailored to the needs of each client. "We firmly believe that innovation is the engine of progress and that people are the heart of every interaction. That is why we continuously invest in human talent and in the most advanced technology, ensuring that every solution we offer is at the forefront of the sector," explains Patricia Monterrey, the company's CTO.
Since 2020, the company has been part of the Inetel Group, a consolidated business holding with a solid track record in technology services, engineering projects, consulting and citizen services. This strategic alliance allows them to combine innovation, an advanced technological infrastructure and a highly qualified team to bring differential value to the sector.
Real-world experience as a starting point
Unlike abstract technological developments, Contactel's direct experience in the teleservices field has been key to designing its new solution. "Our experience in teleservices has been precisely the starting point, not an add-on," explains Patricia Monterrey. "We have spent years serving call centres, both in the private and public sectors, and that has given us something you cannot learn from the outside: we know which queries are repeated thousands of times, at which moments calls spike, which questions generate the most frustration and where time is lost, both on the user's side and the agent's," she adds.
Building on this first-hand experience in call centres, the technical team approached the technological development from a practical perspective in order to solve the real problems of telephone assistance that they encountered on a daily basis. "And it is that same experience that gives us the criteria to build it effectively, making the most of what AI offers without ceding more control than necessary," the executive stresses.
Open source and proprietary technology
As the company's technology director explains, IACONTACTELAGENT operates as an artificial intelligence assistant that optimises telephone assistance for users: "when a user raises a query, the system understands it, searches for the answer in our established information sources and provides it instantly; and when the case is complex or human interaction is advisable, it refers it to an agent." The tool's aim is not to replace people, but to free them from performing repetitive tasks.
This solution relies on open-source technologies combined with proprietary developments. To this end, it uses advanced language models, semantic databases and specific tools that make it possible to manage conversations, locate the most relevant information and guarantee the traceability of the entire process.
The role of the 'SuperAgent' coordinator
In order to avoid errors, the system has been structured to work exactly like a team of professionals in a real office. "It works like a well-coordinated support team. Instead of having a single intelligence trying to know everything, which is where these systems usually fail, we have several specialised agents, each an expert in its field, and above them a 'SuperAgent' that acts as coordinator," she details.
Within this network of agents, the SuperAgent is the first to receive the user's call. Its main function is to interpret the query raised, whether it is managing an appointment booking or an informational question, in order to immediately assign it to the corresponding specialised agent. Once the request is resolved, the coordinator validates that the answer is coherent and complies with regulatory security limits.
"The advantage of organising it this way is twofold: each agent, by being focused on a single task, responds better and with fewer errors; and the whole is easier to maintain and to scale. It is the difference between a single overwhelmed employee trying to cover everything and a coordinated team where each one does what they do best," adds the CTO.
Real validation: the leap to 012
At present, having completed the first phases of development and validation, the platform now faces its most important test: its deployment in the 012 citizen service.
In parallel with this deployment, the Canarian technology company is carrying out an internal knowledge transfer plan. This process seeks to train the company's technical department so that it can progressively and autonomously take on the tasks of maintenance, configuration and evolution of the platform in the future.
The boost from CDTI Innovación and FEDER funds
The execution and viability of this technological development has been closely linked to the financial and strategic support of the public administration. "Having the support of CDTI Innovación has been an important boost to accelerate a strategic innovation project that could hardly be developed with the same scope and speed without this type of support," notes Patricia Monterrey.
The contribution of CDTI Innovación and FEDER funds enables the company to advance in the deployment of generative artificial intelligence solutions on real use cases in the citizen service market. This collaboration allows the company to explore new methods of process automation and to develop better solutions for clients. "In addition, it reinforces our commitment to R&D&i as a way to remain competitive in a constantly evolving sector," adds the CTO.
Beyond the technological development, the project seeks to improve the quality of citizen service. By automating the most repetitive queries, agents can devote more time to those situations where human interaction brings greater value, fostering more agile, accessible and efficient public services.
Intelligent digital services of the future
In the long term, Contactel Teleservicios' strategy is oriented towards a profound transformation of its traditional business models. The goal is to evolve towards an operation where artificial intelligence, advanced automation and data analytics are placed at the core of its entire catalogue of solutions.
With this horizon, the company aspires to establish itself as a benchmark in the development of intelligent digital services. "We want to coordinate technology and business knowledge to help companies and public administrations provide more efficient, personalised and higher-quality services," concludes Patricia Monterrey, assuring that projects such as IACONTACTELAGENT "represent a further step within a strategy of continuous innovation that we understand as a key element in facing the challenges of the future."
CDTI Innovación
The Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E., is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business sphere. The CDTI's mission is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific-technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2025, within the framework of the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan, the CDTI provided 2,423 million euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.
More information:
Web: www.cdti.es
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/29815
X: https://x.com/CDTI_innovacion
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CDTIoficial
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