Fibre-reinforced plastic compositesprimary
2 projects
Central to both FIBRE4YARDS (FRP for shipbuilding) and WEEVIL (ultralight composite vehicle structures).
Organization
INDUSTRIAS QUIMICAS IRURENA SA
Basque chemical SME supplying advanced composites and resins for automotive, construction, and shipbuilding applications across Europe.
Technology SMEtransportESSMENo active H2020 projects
H2020 projects
3
As coordinator
0
Total EC funding
€1.5M
Unique partners
57
What they do
Their core work
Irurena is a Basque chemical and advanced materials company specializing in composite materials, resins, and surface coatings for industrial applications. They supply engineered materials for sectors ranging from automotive and transport to construction and shipbuilding. In H2020 projects, they contribute materials expertise — developing fibre-reinforced plastics for shipyards, composite components for lightweight vehicles, and sustainable construction materials for wood-based building systems.
Core expertise
What they specialise in
Industrial chemical formulations and resinsprimary
3 projects
As a chemical manufacturer ('Industrias Quimicas'), their core business underpins material contributions across all three projects.
Sustainable construction materialssecondary
1 project
BASAJAUN project focused on wood construction systems, circular economy materials, and environmental assessment of building products.
Lightweight vehicle structuressecondary
1 project
WEEVIL project developed an ultralight 3-wheeler, requiring advanced lightweight composite materials.
Modular shipbuilding materialsemerging
1 project
FIBRE4YARDS (2021-2023) applies their composites expertise to automated, modular ship construction.
Evolution & trajectory
How they've shifted over time
Early focus
Lightweight automotive composites
Recent focus
Composites for construction and shipbuilding
Irurena began in H2020 with lightweight composite materials for an ultralight vehicle (WEEVIL, 2015-2019), then broadened into sustainable construction with wood-based building systems and circular economy principles (BASAJAUN, 2019-2024). Most recently, they entered the maritime sector with fibre-reinforced plastics for automated shipyard manufacturing (FIBRE4YARDS, 2021-2023). The trajectory shows a company systematically expanding the application domains for its core composites and chemical expertise.
Irurena is diversifying its advanced materials portfolio into maritime and construction sectors, signalling readiness for cross-industry composite applications and circular economy projects.
Collaboration profile
How they like to work
Role: specialist_contributorReach: European13 countries collaborated
Irurena operates exclusively as a consortium participant, contributing specialized materials expertise rather than leading projects. With 57 unique partners across just 3 projects, they work in large consortia (averaging ~19 partners per project), indicating comfort in complex, multi-partner environments. Their role pattern suggests they are a reliable industrial supplier that research-heavy consortia bring in for materials development and manufacturing know-how.
Despite only three projects, Irurena has built a broad European network of 57 unique partners across 13 countries, reflecting the large-scale Innovation Action and RIA consortia they participate in. Their base in the Basque Country (Azpeitia, Spain) connects them to a strong regional industrial ecosystem.
Why partner with them
What sets them apart
Irurena stands out as a chemical SME that can supply advanced composite and resin solutions across very different industries — vehicles, buildings, and ships — within a single company. This cross-sector versatility in materials is rare among SMEs and makes them a flexible partner for any consortium needing industrial-grade composite manufacturing. Their Basque industrial heritage provides a strong manufacturing base combined with the agility typical of an SME.
Notable projects
Highlights from their portfolio
- FIBRE4YARDSApplies fibre-reinforced composites to automated, modular shipbuilding — an unusual intersection of chemical manufacturing and maritime Industry 4.0.
- WEEVILTheir largest funded project (EUR 677K), developing ultralight composite materials for an innovative 3-wheeler vehicle.
- BASAJAUNBridges rural development and circular economy through sustainable wood construction systems — shows the company's range beyond traditional composites.
Cross-sector capabilities
Construction and building materialsMaritime and shipbuildingCircular economy and sustainabilityAutomotive lightweight structures
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