OCTANTIS TECNALIA GROUP, SLU

Their core work

OCTANTIS is the technology transfer and business development arm of Tecnalia, one of Spain's largest applied research organizations based in the Basque Country. They specialize in bridging research outputs to market, providing innovation management services, business feasibility assessments, and open innovation test bed coordination. Their work spans advanced materials (membranes, nano-enabled composites), critical raw materials recovery, and digital infrastructure, consistently acting as the commercialization partner that connects Tecnalia's R&D capabilities to industry needs.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2016-2018), OCTANTIS focused on technology transfer infrastructure and foundational materials research — building networks for RTO collaboration (ROBOTT-NET), supporting robotics scaleups, and contributing to CO2 capture membrane development. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward Open Innovation Test Beds and manufacturing scale-up services, particularly for nano-enabled products and advanced membranes (OASIS, INNOMEM), alongside growing activity in digital ecosystem coordination (HUB4CLOUD). The trajectory shows a clear move from general technology transfer facilitation toward structured, test-bed-based commercialization of advanced materials.

OCTANTIS is positioning itself as a go-to partner for scaling nano-enabled materials from lab to market through structured test bed and pilot line services.

How they like to work

OCTANTIS never coordinates projects and predominantly participates as a third party (6 of 9 projects), reflecting their role as a service entity within the Tecnalia Group ecosystem rather than an independent research actor. When they do participate directly, they take on well-defined roles in large consortia — their 120 unique partners across 19 countries indicate broad but non-leading involvement. Working with OCTANTIS means accessing Tecnalia's broader infrastructure and network through a business-oriented interface focused on commercialization and scale-up support.

With 120 unique consortium partners across 19 countries, OCTANTIS has a wide European network built primarily through the Tecnalia Group's extensive project portfolio. Their reach is broad rather than deep, reflecting their third-party role in large multi-partner consortia rather than tight bilateral partnerships.

What sets them apart

OCTANTIS offers something rare: a dedicated technology transfer and business development unit embedded within one of Europe's largest RTOs (Tecnalia). While many research organizations struggle with commercialization, OCTANTIS exists specifically to bridge that gap, providing feasibility studies, innovation management, and scale-up coordination. For consortium builders, partnering with OCTANTIS effectively opens a door to Tecnalia's full range of applied research capabilities in materials, manufacturing, and digital technologies.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INNOMEM
  Their largest funded project (EUR 373,712) focused on building an Open Innovation Test Bed for nano-enabled membranes — represents their most substantial direct commitment to advanced materials scale-up.
• CROCODILE
  Addresses the strategic EU priority of critical raw materials by developing compact cobalt recovery systems from recycled batteries, combining electrochemistry, bioleaching, and hydrometallurgy.
• OASIS
  Second-largest funded project (EUR 280,287) creating a single entry point for scaling up smart lightweight composite materials — exemplifies their Open Innovation Test Bed expertise.