CIEFMA - UPC - BarcelonaTech

What CIEFMA - UPC - BarcelonaTech does

CIEFMA (Centre d'Integritat Estructural, Fiabilitat i Micromecànica dels Materials — Center for Structural Integrity, Reliability and Micromechanics of Materials) is a consolidated research group within the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona. Operating from the Campus Diagonal-Besòs since the 2016/2017 academic year, the center holds TECNIO certification from ACCIÓ-Generalitat de Catalunya, designating it as part of Catalonia's technology transfer network. The group is composed of approximately 8 internationally recognized professors (including 3 Full Professors, 2 Associate Professors, and 2 Tenure Track Lecturers), 1 research support staff member, and around 20 early-stage researchers (postdocs and doctoral students). It specializes in structural integrity, reliability, and micromechanics of advanced materials, with deep expertise in deformation, fatigue, and fracture of ceramics, metals, and inorganic composites.

The center's service portfolio spans material selection advisory, mechanical testing (including nanoindentation and small-scale characterization), failure analysis, microstructural characterization (electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, AFM), and surface integrity evaluation for cutting and forming tools. Research activities focus on metallic materials (stainless and tool steels, titanium alloys, metal matrix composites), ceramic materials and nanocomposites (including dental zirconia and bioceramics), coatings technology (thermal barriers, SOFC/SOEC), hard materials (hardmetals, cermets, diamond, boron nitride), and additive manufacturing of ceramic-based composites using direct ink writing and selective laser melting. The infrastructure includes nanoindenters, electron microscopes, tribometers, and shared access to the Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering (CRM).

CIEFMA operates as a non-profit university research center under its parent UPC and generates revenue through three streams: (1) project-based technology transfer services and consulting to industrial clients, (2) professional training courses and seminars in materials science and technology, and (3) competitive research grants from regional and national funding bodies such as ACCIÓ-Generalitat de Catalunya and the RIS3CAT program. Recent grant-funded projects include the AVINT initiative (2018, €2.3M total consortium budget) on machining roughness prediction with partners including Eurecat-CTM, CIMNE, and several manufacturing firms, and the INFARTI project (October 2023–September 2025, €246,351) on additive manufacturing of titanium chlorination cells from scrap recycling, led by JORCAR 2009 S.L. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and customer engagement occurs via direct enterprise relationships and consortium research agreements.

Name

CIEFMA - UPC - BarcelonaTech

Legal name

Centro de Integridad Estructural, Fiabilidad y Micromecànica de los Materiales (CIEFMA) - UPC. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Website

https://ciefma.upc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CIEFMA is a TECNIO-certified university research center within UPC Barcelona specializing in structural integrity, reliability, and micromechanics of ceramics, metals, and composites, providing testing, failure analysis, and consulting services to industrial manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Materials Science Research and Testing Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)

Keywords

• Materials science research
• Mechanical testing services
• Failure analysis consulting
• Microstructural characterization
• Surface integrity evaluation

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Technology transfer services: Provides paid consulting and testing services to industrial companies including materials selection advice, processing assistance, mechanical testing, failure analysis, and surface integrity evaluation
2. Professional training courses: Offers seminars and training courses to industry professionals in materials science and technology areas
3. Research project funding: Secures competitive research grants from regional and national funding bodies such as ACCIÓ-Generalitat de Catalunya and RIS3CAT programs

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CIEFMA is a consolidated university research group that provides technology transfer services to industrial companies. It delivers expert material selection advisory, mechanical and micro/nanomechanical testing, failure analysis, and surface layer integrity evaluation. It also offers specialized professional training courses in materials science and conducts collaborative research projects on metallic, ceramic, coating, and hard materials.

Product overview

CIEFMA (Centre d'Integritat Estructural, Fiabilitat i Micromecànica dels Materials) is a consolidated research group at UPC BarcelonaTech that provides technology transfer services to companies alongside fundamental and applied research. The center offers a comprehensive portfolio including material selection advisory, mechanical testing services, failure analysis, micro/nanomechanics characterization, and surface integrity evaluation. Professional training courses are provided in specialized areas such as hard metals, ceramics, metallurgical technology, fatigue, fracture, and surface coatings. Research activities focus on metallic materials, ceramic materials and composites, coatings technology, and hard materials. The center also leads collaborative research projects like INFARTI (additive manufacturing of titanium components) and AVINT (machining roughness prediction).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Material Selection Advisory Services

Quantifiable outcome

• INFARTI project: €246,351 budget for additive manufacturing research using titanium recycling
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JORCAR 2009 S.L.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Innovative SME specialist in titanium component manufacturing. Leads the INFARTI project (€246,351 budget, Oct 2023-Sep 2025) on additive manufacturing from titanium scrap recycling. CIEFMA provides materials characterization expertise.
• CIMNE (International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the AVINT project developing numerical models for machining processes and laboratory tests to relate machining factors to roughness generation. CIMNE brings computational engineering expertise.
• Eurecat-CTMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject coordinator in the AVINT initiative. Performs characterizations of machined parts and experimental results validation. Part of the technology center network.
• CIMNEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelops specific numerical models for machining processes and various laboratory tests to relate the effect of machining factors on roughness generation.
• Industrias TeixidóminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMachining company providing difficult-to-machine part models for the AVINT project to define production parameters affecting roughness and surface integrity.
• Mecanitzats PrivatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturing company contributing conflict pieces and case studies for machining optimization research within AVINT consortium.
• GUTMARminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner presenting machining case studies to define parameters affecting roughness and surface integrity in the AVINT project.
• IMCARminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCutting tools manufacturer developing new products to be tested during machining experiments within AVINT project.
• FlubetechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoating technology company developing new coatings to be experimented during machining process tests in AVINT project.
• FUCHSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLubricants and coolants company developing new products for machining experiments within AVINT project.
• RIS3CAT Industries of the Future CommunitycoreOthersCatalonia's strategic innovation community framework for optimizing machining processes. AVINT project is part of this RIS3CAT community targeting key cross-cutting manufacturing sector.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM: German Fraunhofer institute focused on evaluating the performance, reliability, and safety of materials and components. Highly comparable to CIEFMA in its emphasis on fatigue, fracture, micromechanical characterization, and applied materials research for industrial clients.
• IMDEA Materiales: Madrid-based IMDEA institute conducting frontier research on structural composites, metals, ceramics, and damage mechanisms. Comparable in mission (advanced materials research) and operational model (university-affiliated research institute serving industry).
• Leitat Technological Center: Catalan TECNIO-certified technology center providing applied R&D and technology transfer across materials, sustainability, and industrial systems. Closest direct peer in both geography (Catalonia) and operational model (TECNIO certification, industrial project delivery).
• Eurecat: Catalan TECNIO technology center that is already a CIEFMA consortium partner on AVINT. Comparable as a multi-disciplinary applied research center serving Catalan industrial clients with materials, manufacturing, and product engineering capabilities.
• IK4-Tekniker: Basque Country technology center with strong surface engineering, tribology, and advanced manufacturing capabilities. Comparable to CIEFMA in the materials characterization and industrial technology transfer space.
• CIDETEC: Basque applied research center specializing in materials, surface treatments, and energy storage (batteries, hydrogen). Overlaps with CIEFMA's surface integrity, coatings, and hydrogen-material interaction research.

Broad incumbents

• BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing: German federal scientific institute with broad mandate for materials testing, safety, and standardization. Comparable to CIEFMA in testing and characterization expertise, though far larger and more regulatorily focused.
• TWI Ltd: UK-based R&D organization focused on welding, joining, and materials integrity for industrial clients. Overlaps with CIEFMA's mechanical behavior, fatigue, and failure analysis capabilities applied to manufacturing contexts.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Nordic applied research center with significant materials, manufacturing, and energy research programs. Comparable in mission (industrial applied research from a public research center) though at much larger scale.

Regional players

• ITMA Materials Technology: Asturias-based Spanish technology center focused on advanced materials, metallurgy, and manufacturing. Comparable to CIEFMA as a Spanish regional materials R&D center serving industrial clients, though geographically separate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about CIEFMA - UPC - BarcelonaTech