CIMNE

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.

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

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

• Computational engineering research
• Numerical methods simulation
• Multiphysics simulation software
• Finite element analysis
• Research technology transfer

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers12 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Lloyd's RegistermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2026Lloyd'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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026CIMNE 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Part of the Beijing institutional visit, CAE and CIMNE discussed cooperation in aeronautical research, simulation methodologies, and potential joint projects in aerospace engineering.
• CompassIScoreTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2026CIMNE 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)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2026Joint 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)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CIMNE 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 GuanajuatocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026CIMNE renewed its collaboration agreements with CIMAT and the University of Guanajuato for Aulas CIMNE, extending joint education and research cooperation in Mexico.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CIMNE 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 MaterialescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CIMNE 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CIMNE and CTFC signed a Collaboration Agreement to advance research and knowledge transfer between computational engineering and forest science applications.
• AddiCraft EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Agreement to strengthen collaboration in advanced engineering and innovation with AddiCraft Engineering.
• Singular AircraftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CIMNE 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)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CIMNE signed an agreement with the Korean Railway Research Institute for collaboration in railway engineering simulation and computational methods.
• AIAC (Asociación de Aulas CIMNE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024AIAC 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 InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CIMNE hosted a delegation from AVIC to explore collaboration in aerospace research, simulation, and aircraft design methodologies.
• Giswater AssociationcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024CIMNE signed an agreement with Giswater Association and RIVUS Foundation to develop an innovative urban drainage simulation model combining hydrological and geospatial simulation tools.
• RIVUS FoundationcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Collaborating with CIMNE and Giswater Association on urban drainage simulation model development.
• AIAC / SAPAL (Mexico)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023AIAC 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CIMNE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cimne
• Xx.com/cimne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 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 CIMNE