Spanish ceramics industry research centre specializing in advanced ceramic materials, thermal management, and resource-efficient manufacturing processes.
AICE is the research association of the Spanish ceramics industry, based in Castellón — the heart of Europe's largest ceramic tile manufacturing cluster. They specialize in applied R&D for ceramic materials and processes, bridging the gap between laboratory advances and industrial-scale production. Their work spans thermal management in ceramic kilns, development of advanced and multifunctional ceramic materials, waste heat recovery systems, and water treatment using ceramic membranes. They serve as a technology partner that helps ceramic manufacturers improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, and develop higher-performance products.
Core expertise demonstrated across DREAM (ceramic kilns optimization), LightCoce (advanced ceramics and prefabricated elements), FORGE (coatings for high-energy processing), and IbD (solids handling processes).
Consistent involvement in thermal systems through Smartrec (heat pipes, thermal storage), DREAM (heat pipes in ceramic kilns), and iWAYS (heat and material recovery across sectors).
REMEB developed low-cost ceramic membranes from recycled agricultural waste for wastewater treatment; iWAYS extends this into industrial water recovery.
FORGE project applies thermal spray and laser cladding techniques combined with machine learning for compositionally complex coatings resistant to corrosion and erosion.
Recurring theme across REMEB (agro-industrial waste reuse), DREAM (resource efficiency in kilns), and iWAYS (water-material-energy recovery loops).
In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), AICE focused on water treatment through ceramic membranes made from recycled waste, and on industrial heat recovery using heat pipes and thermal storage — addressing fundamental resource efficiency challenges. From 2019 onward, their work shifted toward higher-value applications: advanced and multifunctional ceramic materials, predictive modelling, compositionally complex coatings with machine learning, and integrated multi-sector resource recovery. The trajectory shows a clear move from process optimization toward smart materials and digitally-enhanced manufacturing.
AICE is moving toward digitally-enabled materials development — combining ceramic expertise with machine learning and predictive modelling — positioning them for Industry 4.0 applications in high-temperature manufacturing.
AICE operates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is typical for sector-specific research associations that contribute deep domain expertise rather than project management. With 117 unique partners across 18 countries and a strong preference for Innovation Actions (5 of 8 projects), they clearly gravitate toward applied, near-market work in large industrial consortia. Their broad partner network suggests they are well-connected and easy to integrate into new teams, but they rely on others to lead.
AICE has built an extensive European network of 117 unique partners across 18 countries, reflecting their role as a go-to ceramic technology contributor in large cross-border consortia. Their Castellón base connects them naturally to Spain's ceramics industry cluster, but their partnerships span well beyond Southern Europe.
AICE sits at the intersection of traditional ceramics manufacturing and advanced materials science — a rare combination that makes them valuable for projects needing both industrial know-how and research capability. Located in Castellón, home to over 80% of Spain's ceramic tile production, they have direct access to one of Europe's largest ceramics clusters for testing and scale-up. For any consortium dealing with high-temperature processes, ceramic materials, or industrial resource recovery, they bring both the labs and the industry connections to validate results in real production environments.
