Spanish metallurgy research centre specializing in casting processes, high-performance alloys, aerospace materials recycling, and digital manufacturing optimization.
AZTERLAN is a Spanish metallurgy and materials research centre based in Durango (Basque Country) specializing in casting processes, high-performance alloys, and metal recycling. They develop advanced manufacturing techniques for superalloys, aluminium-lithium structures, and nickel-based coatings — serving both the aerospace and metals processing industries. Their work bridges materials science with industrial application, from developing investment casting processes for turbine components to designing end-of-life recycling routes for aircraft fuselage structures. They also contribute process digitalization and modelling capabilities to help metal-intensive industries optimize production and reduce waste.
Core expertise demonstrated across HiperTURB (investment casting of nickel superalloys), HIPERMAT (high-performance materials including superalloys and high-entropy alloys), NEMARCO (NiCrSiFeB alloys via centrifugal casting and laser metal deposition), and Rib-ON (aluminium hot stamping).
ReINTEGRA (coordinated — recycling of welded Al-Li aerostructures including dismantling, sorting, decoating) and RESLAG (turning steel waste into feedstock).
INEVITABLE (digital optimization for metal industry), REVaMP (retrofitting with sensors and process control), and DigiMAT (connecting process data with material characteristics).
SUSPIRE focused on heat recovery, thermal storage, and PCM heat exchangers for energy-intensive industry.
H2Free investigates hydrogen effusion and degassing in ultra-high-strength steels with Zn-Ni plating — a newer research direction for the centre.
Strong aerospace thread across HiperTURB (turbine alloys), ReINTEGRA (aircraft fuselage recycling), NEMARCO (aircraft sealing rings replacing cobalt), and HIPERMAT (ceramic coatings and superalloys).
In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), AZTERLAN focused on industrial energy recovery and basic participation in waste valorization and casting — their keywords centred on heat exchangers, thermal storage, PCM, and energy-intensive industry. From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward digitalization of metal production (modelling, sensors, process control, digital retrofitting) and advanced aerospace materials (aircraft recycling, cobalt-free alloy substitution, hydrogen embrittlement). This evolution shows a centre moving from energy-side industrial support toward becoming a digital-materials specialist for aerospace and metals manufacturing.
AZTERLAN is converging on the intersection of advanced modelling, sustainable metallurgy, and aerospace-grade materials — expect future work in digital twins for casting processes and critical raw material substitution.
AZTERLAN operates primarily as an active partner (8 of 11 projects) but has proven coordination capability, leading 3 projects including aerospace recycling and high-performance materials development. With 83 unique consortium partners across 16 countries, they are well-networked across European industrial research. Their typical project funding (average EUR 275K) suggests they contribute focused technical work packages rather than leading massive programmes — a reliable specialist partner that can also step up to coordinate when the topic aligns with their core metallurgy expertise.
AZTERLAN has collaborated with 83 different partners across 16 countries, indicating a broad European network concentrated in industrial research and aerospace supply chains. Their Joint Technology Initiative involvement (5 projects under Clean Sky 2) points to strong ties within Europe's aerospace manufacturing ecosystem.
AZTERLAN occupies a distinctive niche at the intersection of metallurgical process expertise and aerospace applications — few research centres combine casting process development, alloy design, and end-of-life recycling under one roof. Their Basque Country location places them in one of Spain's strongest industrial manufacturing regions, close to automotive and aeronautics supply chains. For consortium builders, they bring hands-on metal processing capability (centrifugal casting, laser metal deposition, hot stamping) alongside growing digital modelling competence — a combination that is hard to find in a single partner.
