CIMNE
CIMNE is a Barcelona-based research and innovation centre (founded 1987) developing numerical methods and computational engineering software — including GiD and Kratos Multiphysics — for aerospace, automotive, maritime, nuclear, energy, and infrastructure clients worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersBarcelona, Spain
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CIMNE does
CIMNE (Centre Internacional de Mètodes Numèrics a l'Enginyeria / International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering) is a Barcelona-headquartered research and innovation centre founded in 1987 and operated as a consortium between the Government of Catalonia and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). It develops numerical methods and computational techniques — including finite element methods (FEM), discrete element methods (DEM), particle-based methods (including PFEM), multiphysics simulation, uncertainty quantification, and the integration of machine learning with physics-based models — to enable virtual prototyping and predictive analysis across civil, structural, fluid, and industrial engineering. Its core technology assets are the GiD pre- and post-processor (commercially licensed, with a cloud-enabled v18 release) and the open-source Kratos Multiphysics simulation platform, alongside proprietary methodologies such as the EMMR model-order reduction technique (Lloyd's Register Approval in Principle) and the CoolSteam desalination method (published in Nature FreshWater).
CIMNE serves a horizontally diverse customer base spanning aerospace (AVIC Shenyang, Singular Aircraft, Buildair), automotive (SEAT, via Fatigue4Light), maritime and naval (Lloyd's Register, CompassIS), nuclear engineering, energy (Inergy spin-off managing 2,800+ supply points), ports (Port of Barcelona), municipalities (Sant Vicenç dels Horts), and biomedical engineering. Its revenue is generated through a mix of competitive public research grants (Horizon Europe/2020, Spanish and Catalan government programmes, Severo Ochoa, ERC), fee-for-service technology transfer contracts with industry, software licensing (GiD), PhD/Masters/short-course training delivered through the CIMNE Labs e-learning platform, the international Aulas CIMNE network (33 university labs in 10 countries), and the Congress Bureau (40+ international conferences annually, including WCCM-ECCOMAS 2026). Technology commercialisation is also pursued via 10+ spin-off companies (Inergy, OKTICS, Buildair, OKO Business, Beedata Analytics, and others).
CIMNE is governed as a non-profit consortium under CERCA with an 'A' qualification, held the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence distinction from 2019 to 2024, holds Tecnio accreditation through 2028, and HR Excellence in Research. Its leadership transitioned in 2026 when Javier Bonet became Director, succeeding founding director Eugenio Oñate. The organisation publishes the peer-reviewed Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering (Impact Factor 8.171), produces 100+ journal papers annually, and runs a UNESCO Chair in Numerical Methods headed by Professor Michael Ortiz.
CIMNE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CIMNE
- Legal name
- Centre Internacional de Mètodes Numèrics a l'Enginyeria (CIMNE)
- Website
- https://cimne.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- CIMNE is a Barcelona-based research and innovation centre (founded 1987) developing numerical methods and computational engineering software — including GiD and Kratos Multiphysics — for aerospace, automotive, maritime, nuclear, energy, and infrastructure clients worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CIMNE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Computational Engineering Research
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Engineering & Project Delivery Tools (BIM/Digital Twin, Scheduling, Document Control) (EUAKAAAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)
Keywords
Where CIMNE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Barcelona
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
CIMNE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Research Project Funding: CIMNE's primary revenue derives from competitive public research funding including European Framework Programmes (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020), national government grants (Spanish Ministry, MICINN), and regional government grants (Catalan Government, CERCA). The Government of Catalonia contributed €10.1 million for the period 2025–2028. Funding also includes Severo Ochoa excellence programme grants and ERC/comprehensive grant awards.
- Industry Technology Transfer Contracts: Fee-for-service R&D contracts with industrial partners across sectors including automotive (SEAT), aerospace (Buildair), energy, maritime, and nuclear engineering. Projects include Fatigue4Light (lightweight chassis design with automotive OEMs), FIBRE4YARDS (naval manufacturing), and nuclear power plant simulation services.
- Software Licensing (GiD and Kratos): GiD, the pre- and post-processor, is commercialized through licenses and cloud services. Kratos Multiphysics is open-source. Revenue is supplemented by training materials, books (CIMNE Bookstore), and specialized simulation software products.
- Education and Training: Revenue from PhD and Master's programmes, short training courses, winter schools, summer schools, and professional education delivered through CIMNE's own training platform and international Aulas CIMNE network.
- Congress Bureau Services: The CIMNE Congress Bureau organizes international conferences including WCCM-ECCOMAS 2026 (5,000+ attendees from 65 countries), COMPLAS, PARTICLES, COMPOSITES, MARINE, ADMOS, and 40+ specialized conferences annually.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | GiD commercial license (standard) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
CIMNE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CIMNE is a research and innovation centre that develops numerical methods and computational techniques for engineering and applied sciences. It conducts fundamental and applied research, licenses simulation software (GiD, Kratos Multiphysics), executes industry technology transfer contracts across sectors such as aerospace, automotive, energy, marine and nuclear, delivers postgraduate and professional training, and organizes international scientific conferences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CIMNE Labs: Network of physical spaces for cooperation between universities in education and R&D activities
- CENIT
- BeeGroup
- DIGIT
- GiD
- Kratos Multiphysics
- UNESCO Chair in Numerical Methods
- Congress Bureau
- FLUMEN Institute
- CIMNE Bookstore
Products and services
- GiD Pre- and Post-Processor Commercial universal preprocessor and postprocessor for numerical simulations, used by researchers and engineers in industry and academia to prepare geometry, generate meshes, run solvers and visualize results.
- Kratos Multiphysics Open-source multiphysics simulation framework developed at CIMNE for large-scale computational mechanics, supporting fluid-structure interaction, structural mechanics, and coupled problems at extreme scale.
- EMMR Methodology (Enriched Modal Matrix Reduction) Model order reduction methodology for industrial applications, developed with CompassIS and ETSI Navales, approved in principle by Lloyd's Register for marine and offshore engineering.
- CoolSteam Desalination Technology Energy-efficient seawater desalination method using cool steam, published open-access in Nature's FreshWater and available for licensing.
- Inflatable Breakwaters Coastal and river protection technology using inflatable structures, featured in the FIBRE4YARDS project and recognized by JEC Innovation Awards.
- CODE_BRIGHT Software for thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis of geological repositories used in nuclear waste storage research.
- MAT-fem Composites and advanced materials simulation tool for multifunctional structures in aeronautical applications.
- Iber Online Numerical simulation tool for river dynamics and hydraulic engineering, used in the FLUMEN Institute for hydrological engineering applications.
- LAIF AI Drowning Prevention System AI-based computer vision system for detecting and preventing drownings at sea, developed by the DIGIT innovation unit.
- Industry R&D and Technology Transfer Contracts Fee-for-service R&D contracts with industrial and government partners in automotive, aerospace, energy, maritime, nuclear, and other engineering sectors.
- Postgraduate and Professional Training Programs PhD programmes, Master's degrees, winter and summer schools, and short training courses in numerical methods and computational engineering delivered through CIMNE Labs and the Aulas CIMNE network.
- CIMNE Congress Bureau Services Organization of international scientific conferences including WCCM-ECCOMAS, COMPLAS, PARTICLES, COMPOSITES, MARINE, and ADMOS, with over 40 specialized events per year.
Quantifiable outcome
- Chassis components weight reduction of 40% achieved for electric vehicles through advanced fatigue simulation (Fatigue4Light project)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use CIMNE
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CIMNE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature10 records
CIMNE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Lloyd's RegistermajorLloyd's Register issued Approval in Principle (AiP) for CIMNE's EMMR methodology for industrial applications in marine and offshore engineering. This regulatory recognition is a significant milestone for the methodology's commercial adoption.
- BIAM (Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials)coreCIMNE delegation visited BIAM in Beijing, China, alongside CAE (Chinese Aeronautical Establishment), to strengthen aeronautical research cooperation. The visit aimed to advance joint R&D activities in advanced materials and simulation for aerospace applications.
- CAE (Chinese Aeronautical Establishment)corePart of the Beijing institutional visit, CAE and CIMNE discussed cooperation in aeronautical research, simulation methodologies, and potential joint projects in aerospace engineering.
- CompassIScoreCIMNE collaborated with CompassIS and ETSI Navales to develop the Enriched Modal Matrix Reduction (EMMR) methodology, which received Lloyd's Register Approval in Principle for marine and offshore industrial applications.
- ETSI Navales (Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Navales)coreJoint development of EMMR methodology with CIMNE and CompassIS. ETSI Navales contributed naval engineering expertise to the model reduction methodology for industrial applications.
- CAe (Korean Council for Aircraft Finance / CAE)majorCIMNE and CAE signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement to advance aeronautical research and innovation. The agreement covers joint research projects, technology sharing, and staff exchanges.
- CIMAT (Mexico) and University of GuanajuatocoreCIMNE renewed its collaboration agreements with CIMAT and the University of Guanajuato for Aulas CIMNE, extending joint education and research cooperation in Mexico.
- UNESCOcoreCIMNE hosts the UNESCO Chair in Numerical Methods, led by Professor Michael Ortiz. The Chair drives frontier innovation in numerical methods in the Global South and organizes international seminars and research exchanges.
- IMDEA MaterialescoreCIMNE and IMDEA Materiales signed a Framework Agreement and Forge Strategic Alliance for advanced manufacturing simulation. Collaboration focuses on computational materials engineering and additive manufacturing simulation.
- CTFC (Centre for Forest Science and Technology)coreCIMNE and CTFC signed a Collaboration Agreement to advance research and knowledge transfer between computational engineering and forest science applications.
- AddiCraft EngineeringcoreAgreement to strengthen collaboration in advanced engineering and innovation with AddiCraft Engineering.
- Singular AircraftcoreCIMNE and Singular Aircraft signed a letter of intent to strengthen collaboration in aeronautical R&D, focusing on simulation and computational methods for aircraft design.
- AKR (Korean Railway Research Institute)majorCIMNE signed an agreement with the Korean Railway Research Institute for collaboration in railway engineering simulation and computational methods.
- AIAC (Asociación de Aulas CIMNE)coreAIAC is the association of CIMNE's international classroom network (Aulas CIMNE). It coordinates collaboration across 33 university partners in 10 countries, promoting education and R&D in numerical methods.
- AVIC Shenyburg Aircraft Design and Research InstitutemajorCIMNE hosted a delegation from AVIC to explore collaboration in aerospace research, simulation, and aircraft design methodologies.
- Giswater AssociationcoreCIMNE signed an agreement with Giswater Association and RIVUS Foundation to develop an innovative urban drainage simulation model combining hydrological and geospatial simulation tools.
- RIVUS FoundationcoreCollaborating with CIMNE and Giswater Association on urban drainage simulation model development.
- AIAC / SAPAL (Mexico)coreAIAC signed an agreement with SAPAL (Mexico) to promote technology transfer and water management solutions through the Aulas CIMNE network.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CIMNE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CERFACS: European center for research and advanced training in scientific computation, based in Toulouse. Directly comparable as a specialist in computational fluid dynamics, multiphysics, and large-scale simulation.
- INRIA: France's national institute for computer science and applied mathematics research. Comparable as a public research institution with spin-off activity, software platforms, and industrial partnerships in simulation and numerical methods.
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC): Spain's national supercomputing center, also based in Barcelona. Directly comparable in computational engineering research, multiphysics simulation, and EU-funded consortium leadership.
- SINTEF: Norway's largest independent research institute, operating in applied engineering and computational sciences. Similar mix of competitive grant funding, industrial R&D contracts, and spin-off technology transfer.
- Fraunhofer Institute: Germany's largest applied research organization with a similar consortium/public-funded model. Comparable in its combination of contract R&D, spin-off generation, and industry technology transfer across engineering disciplines.
Broad incumbents
- ESI Group: Specializes in virtual prototyping and simulation software for manufacturing and materials. Comparable in its multiphysics focus on industrial processes that overlap with CIMNE's manufacturing simulation work.
- Dassault Systèmes: Operates the SIMULIA suite for realistic simulation, directly competing in multiphysics and structural simulation. A broad incumbent with much larger R&D and sales resources than CIMNE.
- ANSYS: Global leader in commercial CAE/multiphysics simulation software. Overlaps with CIMNE's Kratos and GiD products in industrial simulation but serves a much broader commercial customer base with deeper enterprise sales reach.
- Altair Engineering: Provides commercial simulation, HPC, and AI-driven engineering software. Overlaps with CIMNE's structural mechanics and optimization capabilities while serving a much broader industrial customer base.
Emerging players
- NUMECA International: Specialist in computational fluid dynamics and multiphysics software for turbomachinery and beyond. A focused competitor in CFD where CIMNE's open-source Kratos also has user traction.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CIMNE social profiles
Digital presenceCIMNE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CIMNE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
CIMNE subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
CIMNE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CIMNE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CIMNE
What does CIMNE do?
CIMNE is a research and innovation centre that develops numerical methods and computational techniques for engineering and applied sciences. It conducts fundamental and applied research, licenses simulation software (GiD, Kratos Multiphysics), executes industry technology transfer contracts across sectors such as aerospace, automotive, energy, marine and nuclear, delivers postgraduate and professional training, and organizes international scientific conferences.
Is CIMNE a public or private company?
CIMNE is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was CIMNE founded?
CIMNE was founded in 1987. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is CIMNE based?
CIMNE is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does CIMNE make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Research Project Funding is the primary driver. The others are industry Technology Transfer Contracts, software Licensing (GiD and Kratos), education and Training and congress Bureau Services.
Who are CIMNE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CERFACS, INRIA, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), SINTEF and Fraunhofer Institute. Broad incumbents are ESI Group, Dassault Systèmes, ANSYS and Altair Engineering. NUMECA International is listed as an emerging player.
Does CIMNE have an API?
No public API is recorded for CIMNE.
What industry is CIMNE in?
CIMNE's product category is Computational Engineering Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAKAAAO, Digital Engineering & Project Delivery Tools (BIM/Digital Twin, Scheduling, Document Control), with a secondary code of EDAAALAF, Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD). Its NAICS code is 5417.