FAGOR EDERLAN S.COOP.

Their core work

Fagor Ederlan is a Basque industrial cooperative specializing in aluminium and metal casting for the automotive sector. They manufacture cast components — including engine blocks and structural parts — using advanced techniques like high pressure die casting (HPDC) with lost-core technology. Their EU research involvement focuses on improving casting processes, substituting critical raw materials in aluminium alloys, and recovering industrial waste heat. As part of the Mondragon cooperative group, they bring large-scale manufacturing capability and direct access to automotive supply chains.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the earlier period (2015-2018), Fagor Ederlan focused on manufacturing process optimization — energy and material flow management (MEMAN) and smart city participation (SmartEnCity) — while simultaneously developing their core casting technology (CORE 4.0). From 2019 onward, their focus shifted sharply toward automotive-specific challenges: critical raw materials substitution, aluminium alloy recycling, and electric vehicle components (SALEMA). The trajectory shows a clear move from general industrial efficiency toward EV-driven materials innovation.

Fagor Ederlan is repositioning from traditional automotive casting toward lightweight materials and critical raw materials independence for the electric vehicle transition.

How they like to work

Fagor Ederlan operates primarily as a partner (4 of 5 projects), contributing industrial manufacturing expertise to larger consortia rather than leading research agendas. Their one coordination role (CORE 4.0) was in their core competency — casting technology — suggesting they lead only where they hold deep domain authority. With 97 unique partners across 16 countries, they are well-networked and comfortable in large, multi-national consortia typical of Innovation Actions.

Fagor Ederlan has collaborated with 97 unique partners across 16 countries, indicating strong pan-European connectivity. Based in the Basque Country, they likely have particularly strong ties to Spanish industrial networks and Western European automotive supply chains.

What sets them apart

Fagor Ederlan brings something rare to EU consortia: they are not a research lab theorizing about materials — they are a production-scale foundry that casts real automotive parts. This means they can validate new alloy formulations, recycling processes, and casting techniques at industrial scale, not just in the lab. Their cooperative structure (part of Mondragon) also gives them long-term stability and a collaborative culture that aligns well with consortium work.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CORE 4.0
  Their only coordinated project and core IP area — developed lost-core high pressure die casting for aluminium engine blocks, a technique with direct industrial application.
• SALEMA
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 862K) and most recent project, marking their strategic pivot toward critical raw materials substitution for electric vehicles.
• ETEKINA
  Six-year project on industrial heat recovery using heat pipe technology, demonstrating their commitment to energy efficiency in heavy manufacturing.