CEIT leads EUSKOMAT to develop new advanced materials for industrial challenges

The technology center Ceit is coordinating the EUSKOMAT project, an initiative focused on the development and manufacturing of advanced functional materials capable of addressing some of the key technological and strategic challenges facing industry today.

The project will focus on designing and developing materials with controlled magnetic properties and no rare earth elements, reinforced aluminium for lightweighting applications, conductive materials with high wear resistance, and materials with active functionality. It will also explore their integration into multimaterial systems suitable for a range of industrial sectors.

The initiative aims to build new technological capabilities that will enable the development of high-value solutions for emerging applications, strengthening industrial competitiveness while helping reduce dependence on critical raw materials.

EUSKOMAT is structured around four phases covering the entire technological development process.

An integrated approach: from design to validation

EUSKOMAT has been conceived as a progressive project that supports the development of new materials from the identification of industrial needs through to their validation in real-world applications.

The starting point will be an initial phase of engagement with companies from different sectors, allowing the project team to identify specific challenges and needs and steer the developments towards solutions with clear potential for industrial uptake.

The second phase will focus on defining the new materials, working on their composition, architecture and functionalities to meet specific requirements such as lightweighting, conductivity, wear resistance and advanced magnetic properties.

In the following stages, the materials developed will be produced using different manufacturing and processing technologies, including Melt Spinning, Strip Casting, powder atomisation, targeted heat treatments, additive manufacturing and casting. These processes will make it possible to assess the behaviour and performance of each solution from an early stage of development.

Finally, the most promising developments will be integrated and validated in representative application environments, with the aim of demonstrating their feasibility and potential to address technological challenges across different industrial sectors.

The initiative is funded by the Elkartek Programme of the Basque Government, through SPRI. Alongside Ceit, the project brings together Azterlan, Tecnalia, Tekniker, Lortek, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, EHU and EIPC.