The elite of the Spanish aerospace ecosystem meet in Madrid to address sector challenges

The aerospace industry is witnessing a transformation marked by the need to improve efficiency, advance towards more sustainable methods and strengthen its position in a highly competitive global market against the backdrop of a strategic framework defined by the R&D&I agendas of “Aeronáutica y Espacio 2025” that have set the sector’s technological priorities and are launching a response based on collaborative actions.

It is within this context that the Tekniker technology centre, a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), will host a technological seminar on June 5 and 6 in Madrid within the framework of the ECO-AERO project, an open innovation initiative whose aim is to set up strategic partnerships to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and make more visible the technologies applied to properly address the challenges currently faced by the aerospace industry.

The event, called “Boosting aerospace innovation”, will bring together technological firms, research centres and institutional representatives who will share their experiences, detect real needs and devise solutions to address the sector’s main challenges in order to set up a collaborative space that will have a tangible impact on the industry.

Technology applied to the future of aeronautics

Under the heading “Transforming the future of aeronautics”, day one will kick off on June 5 at Instituto IMDEA in Madrid. With the support of Fundación para la Investigación, Desarrollo y Aplicación de Materiales Compuestos (FIDAMC), Tekniker will offer a programme covering the most outstanding challenges faced by the aeronautical sector although with a specific focus on process digitisation, automation, sustainability and the development of new materials.

The seminar will be attended by companies such as, among others, Airbus, Aernnova, Aciturri, MTorres, ITP Aero, INVENTIA Kinetics, HEXAGON or GMV, HEGAN, CDTI, TEDAE and AEMAC. There will also be representatives from the ministries of science and industry. Panel discussions will address real case studies, the use of digital twins for predictive maintenance and the implementation of technological solutions to improve the efficiency and performance of supply chains.

Tekniker and FIDAMC, for instance, will project videos showing several successful case studies featuring smart diagnostic systems or high precision robotics.

Consolidating the industrial ecosystem for the space sector

On day two, the seminar will move to the headquarters of GMV, a multinational technological company and co-organiser with Tekniker and FIDAMC of a session called “Boosting the space industry”.

The agenda will feature four panel discussions addressing the current situation of the space sector, challenges associated with new materials and manufacturing processes and the role design is currently playing with regard to developing systems that are more efficient and are able to withstand extreme environmental conditions.

In addition to companies like HISPASAT, Thales Alenia Space, Sener Aeroespacial y Defensa, AIRBUS Space & Defense, PLD Space, UARX Space, Grupo Oesía there will also be representatives from the Spanish Space Agency and organisations such as IMDEA or CDTI attending the meeting.

Technology centres, moreover, will showcase innovative technological developments and solutions such as flexible electronics and advanced manufacturing.

Technology transfers

Both seminars form part of the ECO-AERO project, an initiative funded by CDTI (the Centre for technological development and innovation) via the Cervera Excellence Networks fostering an open innovation model geared towards achieving specific results that are fully in line with PERTE, the so-called Plan for Recovery, Transformation and Resilience and the Aerospace PERTE.

It is along these lines and within the scope of the project, that Tekniker is monitoring connective actions between stakeholders and detecting technological needs to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and generate solutions to be implemented effectively in the production fabric.

The organisation’s role in the consortium is focused on identifying technological needs, promoting the transfer of knowledge and speeding up the implementation of new solutions for the industrial fabric, particularly in areas such as advanced robotics, functional surfaces and smart manufacturing.

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