IDEC, INGENERIA Y DESARROLLOS DE COMPOSITES SL

Their core work

IDEC is a Spanish engineering SME specialising in the design, development, and processing of advanced composite materials — primarily carbon fibre and glass fibre reinforced thermoset systems — for the aeronautical, construction, and marine industries. They bring hands-on manufacturing and materials engineering competence to EU research consortia, contributing expertise in thermoforming, bonding, structural repair, and damage tolerance of composite structures. More recently, they have expanded into the chemistry of recyclable thermosets, working with vitrimer systems and bio-based bonding materials that allow end-of-life recovery of fibre-reinforced parts. Their profile is that of a specialised industrial partner that bridges laboratory-scale composite chemistry and real-world manufacturing requirements.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IDEC's early H2020 work (AIRPOXY, 2018) centred on making epoxy composites perform better in service — thermoforming, bonding, repair, SHM, and damage tolerance, all squarely in the aerospace performance engineering space. Their more recent project (VIBES, 2021) marks a clear pivot toward end-of-life concerns: recyclability, vitrimer chemistry, bio-based materials, and greener processing — the same composite substrates, but now optimised for circular economy requirements. The trajectory is a single coherent line: they started by making thermosets easier to use and repair, and are now making them easier to recycle and replace with greener alternatives.

IDEC is moving toward sustainable composite manufacturing — recyclable thermosets, vitrimers, and bio-based fibres — positioning itself ahead of incoming EU end-of-life regulations for composite-intensive industries such as aviation and wind energy.

How they like to work

IDEC has participated exclusively as a non-coordinating partner in both projects, suggesting they prefer to contribute focused technical expertise within consortia rather than lead programme management. With 22 unique partners across just 2 projects, they operate in medium-to-large international consortia (roughly 11 partners per project), which points to comfort working in structured multi-partner settings. There is no evidence of repeat partnerships, indicating they are open to new consortium configurations rather than a closed network of recurring collaborators.

IDEC has built connections with 22 unique partners across 7 countries in only two projects, suggesting active engagement within each consortium rather than peripheral involvement. Their geographic reach is European, with a base in the Basque Country — a recognised hub for advanced manufacturing and aeronautics in Spain.

What sets them apart

IDEC occupies a rare niche as an industrial SME that combines hands-on composite manufacturing capability with research-level knowledge of advanced thermoset chemistry, including dynamic covalent systems that most industrial players have not yet adopted. Based in the Basque Country — one of Europe's strongest aerospace and advanced manufacturing clusters — they bring industrial credibility and regional ecosystem access that university partners or large OEMs cannot replicate. For consortia targeting aerospace, wind energy, or marine composite applications under circular economy or sustainability mandates, IDEC offers the combination of materials chemistry know-how and manufacturing reality-check that bridges R&D outputs to actual production.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AIRPOXY
  The larger and earlier of the two projects (€755,660), it tackled the core industrial challenge of making epoxy composites thermoformable and field-repairable — a significant unresolved problem for aerospace maintenance.
• VIBES
  Addresses the emerging regulatory imperative of composite recyclability using vitrimer chemistry, positioning IDEC at the frontier of circular economy solutions for fibre-reinforced thermosets across aviation, construction, and marine sectors.