AICIA

What AICIA does

AICIA (Asociación de Investigación y Cooperación Industrial de Andalucía), founded in 1982 and headquartered in Seville, Spain, is a non-profit technology center legally affiliated with the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería of the Universidad de Sevilla. It holds national and regional Centro de Innovación y Tecnología (CIT) qualification, CDTI Cervera Center of Technological Excellence accreditation, and ISO 9001:2015 certification from AENOR/IQNet. The organization runs multidisciplinary industrial R&D across aeronautics, energy (hydrogen, renewable integration, thermochemical storage), materials and nanotechnology, environment, manufacturing technologies, ICT, and transport infrastructure.

Its core technology stack includes SOEC electrolyzers and PEM fuel cell bipolar plates for hydrogen, CaO/Ca(OH)2 thermochemical storage systems, a Blockchain laboratory with HIL simulation for smart-grid energy management, ultrathin laminate composite characterization (20–40 microns) relevant to aerospace OEMs such as AIRBUS, and IoT + ML + drone-based monitoring platforms for agricultural and environmental use cases. It operates specialized groups in Power Electronics (GEP, ~20 researchers) and Elasticity and Materials Resistance (GERM, ~15 researchers), plus domain groups in thermodynamics and environmental engineering.

AICIA's revenue model is grant-driven: public R&D funding from CDTI, Junta de Andalucía (IDEA), and EU programs (FEDER, Horizon Europe) combined with collaborative research contracts and technology-transfer services delivered through Joint Innovation Units (Unidades de Innovación Conjunta) with industrial partners. Individual project budgets range from ~€188K to €799K. Customer segments span industrial companies, aerospace OEMs, energy utilities, agricultural/livestock operators, and government bodies across Andalusia and selected international collaborations.

Name

AICIA

Legal name

Asociación de Investigación y Cooperación Industrial de Andalucía

Website

https://aicia.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AICIA is a non-profit CIT-qualified technology center linked to the University of Seville's School of Engineering that delivers multidisciplinary industrial R&D across hydrogen, composites, smart grids, and IoT monitoring, funded primarily through Spanish and EU public grants in collaboration with industrial partners across Andalusia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Research and Technology Development

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAIAM

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Engineering & Technical Consulting

Keywords

• Industrial research services
• Technology transfer consulting
• Renewable hydrogen research
• Advanced composite materials
• Collaborative R&D programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sevilla

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

Revenue model

1. R&D Project Funding: Competitive R&D project grants from national and regional government bodies including CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial), Junta de Andalucía, and European funding programs such as FEDER and Horizon Europe
2. Collaborative Research Contracts: Joint innovation projects with industrial partners through 'Unidades de Innovación Conjunta' where companies collaborate on specific technology development with partial public funding
3. Technology Transfer Services: Research and technology services provided to companies in various industrial sectors, including consulting, testing, and specialized engineering services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AICIA is a non-profit technology center that performs contracted industrial R&D and technology transfer across aeronautics, energy, materials, environment, manufacturing, ICT, and transport. It runs public-funded research programs (CDTI Cervera, FEDER, Junta de Andalucía, Horizon Europe) and joint innovation units with industrial partners, delivering pilots such as renewable hydrogen systems, thermochemical storage, blockchain-based smart grid management, aerospace composites, IoT monitoring and biorefinery projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Research Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 55% weight reduction in modern aircraft (A350, 787) through advanced composite materials
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CIDAUTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024CIDAUT Foundation is the coordinator of the H2ENRY project, a Cervera Excellence Center initiative involving five technology centers working on renewable hydrogen production, storage, and application for industrial decarbonization.
• ITE (Instituto Tecnológico de la Energía)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024Partner in the H2ENRY Cervera Excellence project focused on renewable hydrogen technologies, bringing expertise in energy technologies to the consortium.
• EnergyLabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024Partner in H2ENRY project, contributing expertise in efficiency and sustainability energy technologies to the renewable hydrogen research consortium.
• LeitatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024Technology center partner in the H2ENRY consortium, providing technological expertise for renewable hydrogen research and development.
• INERCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joint Innovation Unit (Unidad de Innovación Conjunta) partner for thermochemical energy storage (ALTER-Q) and bio-fuel production (BIO-E-FUEL) projects. INERCO is an industrial technology company.
• EmasesaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Water management company collaborating on NURECCO2 project for CO2 capture integration in urban wastewater treatment plants.
• FIAP e.V. (Instituto de Investigación)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Research institute promoting GreenTecLab project for green startup empowerment across Spain, Greece, and Slovakia.
• Ayuntamiento de El Real de la JaraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Local government partner in ENCINA-SMS project, promoting livestock management technology in Sierra Morena de Sevilla region.
• Grupo de Desarrollo Rural Sierra Morena SevillaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Rural development association partner in ENCINA-SMS project for smart dehesa management technology implementation.
• Hermanos Fernández Ronquillo, S.C.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Livestock farming entity serving as pilot farm operator for ENCINA-SMS technology testing in dehesa environment.
• Universidad de SevillacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020University affiliation through the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, providing academic research foundation and facilities.
• CARTIFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in HYSGRID+ project focused on hybrid thermal and electrical generation and storage systems for local energy communities.
• ITG (Instituto Tecnológico de Galicia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in HYSGRID+ project, contributing to research on hybrid renewable energy systems for local energy communities.
• IKERLANcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in HYSGRID+ project, bringing expertise in energy storage and hybrid systems for local energy communities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Institute: Fraunhofer is Germany's network of 76 applied research institutes with a public-funded contract research model closely analogous to AICIA's CIT model. It is a broad incumbent peer with comparable mission, funding structure, and multi-sector applied research mandate, but at vastly greater scale and global footprint.
• TECNALIA: TECNALIA is the largest private applied research center in Spain, covering energy, industry, digital, and built environment sectors. It is a broad incumbent peer with similar CIT funding model but significantly larger scale, broader geographic footprint, and more diversified industrial customer base than AICIA.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: VTT is Finland's state-owned applied research organization with multi-sector R&D across energy, industry, and digital. It is a broad incumbent peer with similar applied-research, public-funded model to AICIA's CIT positioning, but with national rather than regional scope and a much larger industrial contract base.

Direct peers

• Leitat: Leitat is a Catalan technology center with multi-sector R&D across materials, energy, biotechnology, and industrial technologies. Already an H2ENRY consortium partner with AICIA, it offers the closest direct comparable in scope and CIT-funding model within the Spanish technology center ecosystem.
• ITG - Instituto Tecnológico de Galicia: ITG is a Galician technology center working on industrial innovation and digital transformation. Already an HYSGRID+ partner with AICIA, it is a direct regional peer in the Spanish CIT ecosystem with comparable multi-sector applied research scope.
• CIDETEC: CIDETEC is a Basque Country applied research center specializing in energy storage (batteries), surface engineering, and biomedical materials. It is a strong direct peer for AICIA's hydrogen and energy storage research lines and shares the CIT funding model with mixed public-private governance.
• IKERLAN: IKERLAN is a Basque Country technology center specializing in energy storage, mechatronics, and embedded electronics, member of the Mondragon Corporation. It is already an AICIA partner in HYSGRID+ and provides a direct peer comparable for energy and electronics research with similar CIT-style funding.
• CIDAUT: CIDAUT Foundation is a Castile and León technology center focused on mobility, transport, and energy. It serves as coordinator of the H2ENRY project alongside AICIA, making it a direct peer in CIT qualification and consortium-led renewable hydrogen research.
• EnergyLab: EnergyLab is a Vigo-based Spanish technology center focused on energy efficiency and sustainability technologies. Already an H2ENRY partner alongside AICIA, it is a direct peer in the energy research niche with comparable funding structure and consortium model.
• CARTIF: CARTIF is a Spanish multi-sector applied research center based in Valladolid (Castilla y León). It is already AICIA's consortium partner in the HYSGRID+ project, making it a direct comparable as a CIT-qualified technology center with similar energy and mobility focus and comparable funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Aicia_
• Facebookfacebook.com/AICIASevilla/?locale=es_ES
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aicia-andalusian-association-for-research-and-industrial-cooperation-

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AICIA