Centro Tecnológico del Calzado y del Plástico

What Centro Tecnológico del Calzado y del Plástico does

Centro Tecnológico del Calzado y del Plástico (CETEC) is a non-profit technology center (asociación sin ánimo de lucro) founded in 1994 and headquartered in Alhama de Murcia, Spain, that delivers applied R&D+i, laboratory testing, pilot-scale manufacturing, and digital traceability services to the plastics and footwear industries. Its client base spans material manufacturers, plastic converters, recyclers, footwear producers, food packaging firms, and agricultural cooperatives, primarily in the Region of Murcia and across Spain, with growing reach through European Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 project consortia spanning 6–12 countries. CETEC employs approximately 25–30 professionals across R&D project management, technical services, laboratories, biotechnology, and business development.

CETEC's core technology capabilities span biopolymer development (PHA, PHBV, PLA, bioPBS), advanced materials compounding, mechanical/chemical/biological recycling processes, industrial biotechnology using halophilic archaea and enzymatic degradation, and digital traceability. It operates pilot-scale bioreactors (up to 500L) for fermentation and biopolymer production, complete thermoplastic processing lines (extrusion, injection, lamination, coating, compounding), accredited testing laboratories, and the proprietary Erantum blockchain-based traceability platform for recycled-content certification under UNE 15343:2008. The center has managed over 150 R&D projects and trained more than 100 companies across EU, national, and regional programs.

CETEC's business model combines (1) fee-for-service R&D consulting, laboratory testing, and pilot plant access delivered directly to industrial clients (predominantly SMEs), (2) publicly funded research project coordination and participation under Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, LIFE, CDTI, and regional FEDER/INFO Murcia programs, (3) technical training and competitive intelligence subscriptions, and (4) accredited laboratory certification services (EN 13432, ISO 14040, ISO 17556, ISO 14855, ISO 20200, RecyClass). As a non-profit, revenues are reinvested into research activities. The organization also operates CETEC Biotechnology S.L., a spin-off entity commercializing biopolymer production at scale. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated on a project-by-project basis.

Name

Centro Tecnológico del Calzado y del Plástico

Legal name

Centro Tecnológico del Calzado y del Plástico

Website

https://ceteccentrotecnologico.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CETEC is a non-profit Spanish technology center founded in 1994, providing applied R&D, laboratory testing, pilot-scale manufacturing, and digital traceability services to plastics, footwear, and related industrial clients primarily in the Region of Murcia and across European consortia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial R&D Services for Plastics and Footwear

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodegradation/Compostability Testing, Certification & Standards Services (IMANANAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainability Testing, Certification & Compliance (LCA, Recyclability/Compostability Testing, FSC/PEFC) (IMALAMAK)

Keywords

• Plastics research services
• Footwear technology development
• Biopolymer materials research
• Circular economy consulting
• Recycling process development

Headquarters

HQ city

Alhama De Murcia

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. R&D Project Services to Companies: CETEC provides fee-for-service technological consulting, laboratory testing, pilot plant access, and R&D project management services to companies. As a non-profit association, revenues are reinvested into research activities rather than distributed to members.
2. European and National Research Project Funding: CETEC participates as coordinator or partner in publicly funded R&D projects under Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, LIFE, CDTI, and regional programs (INFO Murcia). These grants fund a significant portion of their R&D activities and staff.
3. Technical Training and Workshops: CETEC delivers technical training programs, webinars, and workshops on ecodesign, sustainable materials, recycling technologies, digitalization, and sector-specific regulations. Training is offered in-person, online, or hybrid formats tailored to company needs.
4. Laboratory Testing and Certification Services: Accredited laboratory services for material characterization, biodegradability testing, compostability certification, migration analysis, mechanical/thermal testing, and recycled content verification per EN 13432, ISO standards, and RecyClass standards.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CETEC is a non-profit technology center that delivers applied R&D, accredited laboratory testing, pilot-plant validation, and technical consulting to industrial companies in the plastics and footwear sectors. Its core offer spans bioplastic and biocomposite development, mechanical/chemical/biological recycling process development, industrial biotechnology and fermentation, and a proprietary blockchain-based digital traceability platform (Erantum), supported by laboratories, a thermoplastic processing pilot plant, and a biotechnology pilot plant with bioreactors up to 500L.

Product overview

CETEC (Centro Tecnológico del Calzado y del Plástico) operates as a non-profit technological center providing R&D+i services primarily to the plastics and footwear industries. The portfolio is organized around core technology service areas: Erantum (blockchain-based digital traceability platform), laboratory services (footwear, plastics, biotechnology testing), pilot plants (materials processing and bioprocessing), and advisory services (innovation project management, technical consulting, applied R&D, recycling process development, circular economy advisory, industrial digitalization, and training/competitive intelligence). The Observatory Tecnológico serves as a digital knowledge platform. All services are delivered through multidisciplinary technical teams with specialized infrastructure for materials characterization, pilot-scale processing, and biotechnology development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Erantum: Digital traceability platform based on blockchain technology for plastics supply chain traceability and recycling content certification per UNE 15343:2008.
• Cetec Biotechnology
• CETECbio

Products and services

• Erantum Digital Traceability Platform Blockchain-based traceability platform ensuring complete and secure tracking of plastic materials throughout the supply chain, with compliance to UNE 15343:2008 and certification of recycled content. Sold/license implemented for industrial clients seeking supply-chain transparency.
• Laboratorio de Calzado (Footwear Laboratory Services) Accredited laboratory services for the footwear sector covering material characterization, adhesion testing, tear resistance, component evaluation, and functional comfort and ergonomics testing.
• Laboratorio de Plásticos (Plastics Laboratory Services) Accredited laboratory services including mechanical and thermal property testing, compatibility and recyclability evaluation, migration testing for food-contact materials, and biodegradability/compostability testing per EN 13432, ISO 20200, and ISO 14855 standards.
• Laboratorio de Biotecnología (Biotechnology Laboratory Services) Biotechnology laboratory services including fermentation and biopolymer production, biodegradability evaluation, and functional ingredient development for food and cosmetic industries.
• Planta Piloto de Materiales Plásticos (Plastics Materials Pilot Plant) Pilot plant service for thermoplastic and elastomer processing including extrusion, injection, lamination, coating, and compounding, enabling prototype development, pre-series validation, and process optimization.
• Planta Piloto de Biotecnología (Biotechnology Pilot Plant) Bioprocess pilot plant with bioreactors for fermentation, biocatalysis, and purification (downstream processing), capable of producing bioplastics such as PHA at kilogram scale for pilot validation.
• Gestión de Proyectos de Innovación (Innovation Project Management) Project management services for innovation projects including technical design, funding identification (Horizonte Europa, LIFE, CDTI, Interreg), proposal preparation, integral management, and audit support.
• Consultoría y Asesoramiento Técnico (Technical Consulting) Technical consulting covering product and process diagnostic, design review for functionality and sustainability, ecodesign support, regulatory compliance (safety, packaging, migration, labeling), and technological benchmarking.
• I+D Aplicada y Multisectorial (Applied Multisectoral R&D) Applied R&D services for new material development (bioplastics, recyclables, functional and technical materials), process optimization, experimental design and technical validation, and product reformulation.
• Desarrollo de Procesos de Reciclaje (Recycling Process Development) Recycling process development covering mechanical recycling (physico-chemical characterization, compound design, extrusion validation), biological recycling (microbial/enzymatic degradation of bioplastics, fermentation), and chemical recycling (depolymerization via pyrolysis, glycolysis, hydrolysis).
• Bioeconomía y Biotecnología Industrial (Industrial Bioeconomy and Biotechnology) Industrial biotechnology services including biological valorization of waste, fermentative processes and bioreactors, and biomaterial development for packaging, textile, cosmetics, and biomedical applications.
• Economía Circular y Sostenibilidad (Circular Economy and Sustainability) Circular economy and sustainability services including product design/redesign, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) per ISO 14040/44, carbon footprint calculation, waste valorization strategies, and regulatory compliance (packaging law, Green Pact, EU taxonomy).
• Digitalización Industrial y Conectividad (Industrial Digitalization and Connectivity) Industrial digitalization services including Erantum traceability platform implementation, IoT-based process digitization, regulatory compliance advice, and data analysis using Big Data and predictive analytics.
• Formación y Vigilancia Competitiva (Training and Competitive Intelligence) Technical training programs and competitive intelligence services covering ecodesign, sustainability and circular economy, plastic materials, industrial digitalization, biotechnology, and regulatory certification courses.
• Observatorio Tecnológico (Technology Observatory) Technology observatory platform providing competitive intelligence and technological surveillance for plastics and footwear sectors, offering filtering by technology, sector, challenge, and material type.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% reduction in carbon footprint for footwear biocompounds (Kanna case study)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• CETEC Biotechnology S.L.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CETEC Biotechnology S.L. is a spin-off entity collaborating with CETEC on biopolymer production and scaling of biotechnology processes. They co-participate in European projects including VISS, PHAntastic, and ANIPH, combining CETEC's research infrastructure with private-sector commercialization capability.
• FEDIT (Federación de Centros Tecnológicos)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CETEC became a collaborating partner of FEDIT in 2025, joining Spain's federation of technology centers to strengthen collaboration, participate in national policy initiatives, and access shared resources and networks for technology transfer.
• CTNC (Centro Tecnológico Nacional de la Conserva)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CETEC collaborates with CTNC on the ALPACA project to develop active and sustainable food packaging from agrifood waste. This partnership combines CETEC's bioplastics processing expertise with CTNC's food technology capabilities.
• AIJU (Instituto Tecnológico de Producto Infantil y Ocio)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CETEC and AIJU held a strategic meeting to reinforce collaboration in innovation and technology services, exploring joint R&D initiatives and knowledge sharing between the two technology centers in adjacent industry sectors.
• CTCON (Centro Tecnológico de la Construcción)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project CON-s with CTCON focused on developing sustainable construction elements including sandwich panels with biobased foam cores and geopolymer concrete reinforced with non-metallic meshes, applying circular economy principles to the construction sector.
• CETENMA (Centro Tecnológico de la Energía y del Medio Ambiente)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project SOLUTEX with CETENMA developing an integral technological solution for the elimination and valorization of microfibers from industrial textile washing systems, combining wastewater treatment with enzymatic degradation valorization.
• UPCT (Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCETEC maintains close collaboration with UPCT, including joint supervision of researchers, academic teaching by CETEC staff as associate professors, and collaborative participation in European and national R&D projects. Several CETEC team members hold PhDs from UPCT.
• Universidad de GranadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversidad de Granada is a key academic partner in multiple CETEC-coordinated European projects including ANIPH and VISS, contributing research expertise in biotechnology, biopolymers, and environmental impact assessment.
• CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSIC, specifically through institutes such as Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, collaborates with CETEC in the PHAntastic project for agricultural bioplastic applications, providing advanced research capabilities in materials science and biotechnology.
• RWTH Aachen UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCETEC collaborates with RWTH Aachen in the DATA4CIRC project, leveraging the university's expertise in digital twins, AI-assisted life cycle assessment, and manufacturing process modeling to develop federated data spaces for circular manufacturing.
• GoPHA (Global Organization for PHA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCETEC is a member of GoPHA, the global organization promoting polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastics. They collaborate on knowledge dissemination, standardization, and market development for PHA applications, and co-present projects at international forums.
• Helian Polymers B.V.moderateTechnology or IntegrationHelian Polymers, a Dutch company specializing in biopolymers, partners with CETEC in VISS and PHAntastic projects to scale up PHA/PHBV production and develop compound formulations for food packaging and agricultural applications.
• Idener R&D (AI)moderateTechnology or IntegrationIdener R&D, a Spanish AI and biotechnology research company, serves as coordinator of DATA4CIRC and collaborates with CETEC on digital frameworks, AI-assisted analysis, and data interoperability solutions for circular manufacturing.
• Zukan S.L.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZukan is a Spanish food company collaborating in the VISS project as an end-user partner, validating PHBV-based food packaging in real conditions and providing feedback on performance requirements for short-shelf-life food applications.
• Probelte S.A.moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerProbelte, a biotechnology company specializing in agricultural biological products, collaborates with CETEC in PHAntastic to develop bioproducts and biofertilizers combined with PHA-based agricultural films for sustainable horticulture.
• SusChem-ES (Plataforma Tecnológica Española de Química Sostenible)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCETEC participates in SusChem-ES, Spain's sustainable chemistry technology platform, connecting with the European SusChem network to share knowledge on sustainable materials, biotechnology, and circular economy innovation.
• CBE (Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCETEC collaborates through CBE JU, a public-private partnership supporting circular bio-based projects in Europe, accessing funding and network connections for sustainable bio-based materials development.
• Packnet (Plataforma Tecnológica Española de Packaging)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCETEC is a member of Packnet, Spain's packaging technology platform, connecting with national and European stakeholders in the packaging value chain to promote innovation and sustainability in food packaging.
• ANAIP (Asociación Española de Industriales de Plásticos)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCETEC collaborates with ANAIP, Spain's plastics industry association, on industry advocacy, standard development, and technology transfer to the Spanish plastics manufacturing sector.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AIMPLAS (Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico): Spanish non-profit plastics technology center that, like CETEC, delivers applied R&D, pilot-scale processing, characterization/testing, and training to plastics converters and end-users. Direct overlap in bioplastics, recycling, and circular economy services for Spanish industry.
• ITENE (Instituto Tecnológico del Embalaje, Transporte y Logística): Spanish technology center focused on packaging, logistics, and circular economy with comparable R&D, lab, and pilot capabilities. Overlaps with CETEC's food packaging, traceability, and recycling lines, especially in EU-funded projects.
• AIJU (Instituto Tecnológico de Producto Infantil y Ocio): Spanish non-profit technology center with adjacent sector focus (children's products, toys, leisure). Partners with CETEC on innovation services and shares a similar non-profit R&D+i model and Spanish technology center ecosystem.
• CTNC (Centro Tecnológico Nacional de la Conserva): Spanish food/packaging technology center collaborating with CETEC on the ALPACA bioplastics packaging project. Similar non-profit R&D model, with overlap in food-contact materials testing and biobased packaging.
• CETENMA (Centro Tecnológico de la Energía y del Medio Ambiente): Spanish technology center collaborating with CETEC on the SOLUTEX microfiber valorization project. Shares the non-profit Spanish technology center model with complementary expertise in environmental technologies.
• CTCON (Centro Tecnológico de la Construcción): Spanish construction technology center working with CETEC on the CON-s biobased construction materials project. Same non-profit R&D+i structure and parallel access to FEDER and Horizon funding.

Others

• FEDIT (Federación de Centros Tecnológicos): Federation of Spanish technology centers of which CETEC is a collaborating member. Not a direct competitor, but a coordinating body that influences funding flows and policy for centers like CETEC.
• CBE JU (Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking): Public-private partnership between the European Commission and bio-based industries that funds projects in which CETEC participates. Acts as a key funding channel and ecosystem orchestrator for CETEC's biopolymer work.

Broad incumbents

• CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas): Spain's largest public research institution, collaborating with CETEC on PHAntastic. Functions both as a scientific partner and as a broad incumbent that competes for similar EU funding and scientific talent in materials and biotechnology.
• Fraunhofer Institute (e.g., Fraunhofer IVV, Fraunhofer LBF): Large German applied research organization active in plastics processing, biopolymers, and recycling. Competes with CETEC for European industrial R&D mandates and offers a much broader service portfolio and equipment base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CetecCentro
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100064801296607
• Instagraminstagram.com/ceteccentro

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centro Tecnológico del Calzado y del Plástico