FUNDACION CIDETEC

Their core work

CIDETEC is a Spanish applied research centre based in San Sebastián specializing in advanced materials, surface engineering, and energy storage technologies. They develop functional coatings, smart composites, and battery systems — taking them from lab formulation through pilot-scale manufacturing. Their work spans polymer chemistry, electrochemistry, and nanomaterials, with strong capabilities in scaling up materials innovations for the automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries. They bridge the gap between materials science discovery and industrial production, frequently operating pilot lines and demonstration facilities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), CIDETEC focused heavily on bio-based materials (keratin, bio-resins, recyclable composites), next-generation battery chemistries (zinc-air, silicon anodes, Li-ion electrolytes), and foundational coatings work. From 2019 onward, the centre shifted decisively toward electric vehicle battery systems — thermal management, fast charging, pilot-line manufacturing — alongside increased work in corrosion modelling, sensor integration, and industrial recycling processes. The trajectory shows a clear move from materials discovery toward systems-level engineering and industrial scale-up, particularly in the EV battery value chain.

CIDETEC is consolidating around the full EV battery lifecycle — from cell chemistry through thermal management to recycling — making them an increasingly valuable partner for automotive electrification projects.

How they like to work

CIDETEC operates as both a project leader and a strong technical partner: they coordinated 17 of their 59 projects (29%), showing real initiative in defining research agendas, particularly in composites and battery design. With 560 unique consortium partners across 35 countries, they maintain an exceptionally broad network rather than relying on a small circle of repeat collaborators. Their comfort with both RIA (36 projects) and IA (14 projects) signals they can contribute across the full innovation chain, from fundamental research through industrial demonstration.

CIDETEC has built one of the wider collaboration networks among Spanish research centres, with 560 distinct partners spanning 35 countries. Their partnerships are heavily European but reach well beyond the Iberian Peninsula, with strong ties to German, French, and Italian industrial and academic partners typical of materials and transport consortia.

What sets them apart

CIDETEC combines deep materials chemistry expertise with genuine pilot-plant and scale-up capabilities — a rare combination among research centres, which typically stop at the lab bench. Their ability to work across batteries, composites, coatings, and bio-based materials under one roof means they can tackle multi-material challenges that would require several partners elsewhere. For consortium builders, they offer a Spanish partner with industrial credibility and a track record of coordinating complex multi-partner projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NanoPilot
  Their largest single grant (EUR 2M) as coordinator, building a GMP-compliant pilot plant for polymer nanopharmaceuticals — demonstrating serious scale-up infrastructure.
• AIRPOXY
  Coordinated a EUR 944K project developing repairable, thermoformable epoxy composites for aerospace — sits at the intersection of their composites and smart materials strengths.
• KARMA2020
  Led the valorisation of industrial feather waste into keratin-based bioplastics, showcasing their circular-economy materials capability in an unconventional feedstock.