The Maier Technology Centre is to join the IK4-TEKNIKER Governing Board

The Maier Technology Centre (MTC), a centre owned by Maier, the Basque manufacturer of components for the automotive business and household appliances sector, will join the Governing Board of IK4-TEKNIKER to address governance actions involving the technology centre.

The fact that Maier is to become a member of the Governing Board, pursuant to the agreement reached during the Governing Board meeting held at IK4-TEKNIKER in mid December, will serve to strengthen the technological ties established between both organisations after years of co-operation. In fact, MTC joined the Eibar-based centre as a collaborating body prior to becoming a formerly appointed trustee last October. The aim of a collaborative body is to achieve a convergence between the know-how of both organisations to jointly develop technologically advanced products and innovative services.

“The growing relevance acquired by this mutual relationship and a number of other potential expansion possibilities have made it necessary to set up a much more consistent structure”, says Alejandro Bengoa, Director General of IK4-TEKNIKER.

The agreement will allow both centres to share their respective technological strategies and place them in line with the company’s needs. This should make it possible to roll out solidly planned technological development programmes to further reinforce MTC’s position of international leadership in terms of the products it develops.

Moreover, a compromise of this nature reached by both companies will allow the Maier Technology Centre to take advantage of the benefits available to IK4-TEKNIKER collaborating firms by fostering a strategic relationship between stakeholders and achieving stable R&D&I co-operation over time.

Collaborative bodies, an alliance of opportunities

Any organisations co-operating with IK4-TEKNIKER will have the advantage of launching joint projects and anticipated access to customised information related to developments in progress.

Membership of the group of organisations collaborating with IK4-TEKNIKER, will allow the Maier Technology Centre to participate in other similar partnerships established by the centre with different companies. To date, 22 organisations have joined this collaborative approach.

Amongst other relevant contributions made by IK4-TEKNIKER for MTC, special emphasis must be made of the technology centre’s outstanding expertise with regard to manufacturing technologies applied to surface treatments, process automation and scaling.

MTC, located in the Arabieta industrial estate in Ajangiz (Gernika), was established in 1995 with the goal of becoming a reference in the plastics industry and is currently providing services to companies in the automotive sector.

2015, a year full of landmarks for IK4-TEKNIKER

The nomination of MTC as an IK4-TEKNIKER trustee was ratified during the meeting held on December 16 when the technology centre’s provisional financial results from the previous year were presented.

IK4-TEKNIKER closed 2015 without any headcount variations: 272 people.

In fact, more researchers will be hired in 2016.

In 2015, total R&D&I revenues increased by 6% compared to 2014, mainly due to a 5% increase in project contracts signed with other companies.

Increased revenues have allowed the technology centre to invest in new equipment such as a source that is used to generate nanoparticles (NanoGen Trio, Mantis) based on a cathodic pulverisation technology. This allows for the production of extremely pure nanoparticles that are generated in a controlled atmosphere and delivers high accuracy size control.

The range of applications generated by nanoparticles manufactured according to this technology is very extensive and embraces areas such as medical therapies, data storage, electricity generation via photovoltaic solar cells and fuel cells, biosensors or optoelectronic applications.

More growth in 2016

IK4-TEKNIKER believes that 2016 will lead to further growth in terms of revenues and number of workers.

The technology centre will focus its strategy for this year that has only just begun on achieving continuity and reinforcing collaboration actions with businesses, clusters, associations and other platforms.

Moreover, IK4-TEKNIKER will organise LUBMAT 2016, an international conference on lubrication, industrial maintenance and tribology to be held in Bilbao in June. It will also participate as an exhibitor at the 2016 BIEMH Machine Tool Biennial Trade Fair.

The technology centre will further its commitment focused on the Industry 4.0 strategy throughout 2016.

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