SOFOCLES Partners

SOFOCLES consortium consists of five partners from three european countries, gathering experts from the Research, Industrial Integration and Manufacturing sectors.

TECNALIA is a private, non-profit, research organisation resulting from the merger (1st January 2011) of eight research centers. TECNALIA is the is among the leading research institutes in Europe and is positioned between universities and industries, employing 1,407 people (248 Ph.D) and with an income of 110 Million € in 2018. TECNALIA is an equal opportunity employer: 57% men and 43% women employees. Their experience with different industries is high as they are working really close to them to mature and transfer technologies that will generate impact.

The Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems & Automation (LMS) is oriented on research and development in cutting edge scientific and technological fields. LMS is involved in a number of research projects funded by the CEU and European industrial partners. Particular emphasis is given to the co-operation with the European industry as well as with a number of “hi-tech” firms. LMS is under the direction and technical coordination of Professor George Chryssolouris.
The Laboratory is organized in four different groups:

Comau is a worldwide leader in industrial automation able to create value across multiple sectors (Transportation, Industry and Utilities) and on two dimensions: Products and Integrated Solutions for industrial automation, advanced manufacturing systems and innovative sustainable production lines.

Headquartered in Turin, Italy, with an international network that spans 14 countries, 8 manufacturing plants, 7 innovation centres and 5 digital hubs, with more than 9300 employees, Comau uses the latest technology and processes to deliver advanced turnkey systems that consistently exceed the expectations of its customers.

The continuous development of its products and services enables Comau to lead the automation industry in meeting the unique requirements of each customer, and through all phases of the project – from design, implementation and installation, to production start-up and maintenance services.

AERNNOVA is a multinational company that is  dedicated to the full management of aeronautical structures. The company is specialized in the design and manufacturing of aerostructures and components such as empennages, wings and fuselage sections.

It started its activity in 1986 with the creation of Fibertecnic and in 1993, with the signing of the shared-risk contract to design and to manufacture the wings of the erj-145 for Embraer, Gamesa Aeronautica division was created.

In 2006, Gamesa sold its aeronautical division and the group changed its name to the current AERNNOVA AEROSPACE.

AERNNOVA is located in 7 countries and it has more than 20 facilities. With more than 5.000 employees and revenues over 700 mm €, it is the first Tier 1 in Spain and the 10th worldwide.

AERNNOVA group has 5 Business Units that work in close coordination:

  • ENGINEERING: dedicated to development, design and stress analysis of airframes.
  • METALLIC COMPONENTS: dedicated to metallic parts manufacturing, mainly by 2 technologies, machining and metal forming.
  • COMPOSITES: dedicated to composite parts manufacturing, mainly carbon fiber, by means of hand lay-up, automatic tape lay-up, fiber placement, RTM, etc.
  • ASSEMBLY: dedicated to assemble the parts, both metallic and composites, that have designed and manufactured the previous units of the group.
  • PRODUCT SUPPORT: dedicated to manage final customer assistance in everything regarding maintenance, repair and spare parts management of the programs in which AERNNOVA is involved.

The AMOND GROUP was established in 1963. The Group’s head office is in Zizurkil (Gipuzkoa, Spain) and it specialises in the manufacture of complex-geometry welded parts, for the wind power, aeronautical, aerospace, renewable energy and heavy industry sectors.

With the support of a multi-disciplinary team, over the years AMOND GROUP has been able to diversify its activities in these sectors and develop the capacity to deliver turnkey solutions for its customers (design, manufacture, quality control, installation and commissioning).

The highly competitive environment of the international industrial component manufacturing market for the wind power, aeronautical and aerospace sectors, where demand for larger parts with ever more stringent requirements continues to grow, imposes a business strategy based on the integration of industrial processes and the generation of added-value services.

AMOND GROUP‘s growth strategy featured the creation of KEYTECH, a company which stands alongside AMONDARAIN I, and AMONDARAIN II to strengthen the group’s international positioning. KEYTECH has brought to the group 7,000 m² of modern facilities, which now house the group’s general services and production engineering activities. This investment project reflects a strategy to integrate industrial processes in a cluster of businesses specialising in mechanical welding, machining and surface treatments, along with the delivery of turnkey solutions.

The key factors for AMOND GROUP in this industrial project are innovation and technological development in the manufacturing processes of complex parts for the industrial sectors mentioned above.