This year the centre is celebrating its 25th anniversary by organising some very interesting activities for the secto

2010 was a very important year in the development of the Ideko-IK4 technological centre in Elgoibar, which continued to grow, a real achievement given the current economic crisis. This growth in activity was reflected in the increase in total business, which was up 4.3% with total income of €8 million. Of this amount, €5.2 million correspond to R&D products under contract with companies, while €2.8 million correspond to research projects supported by a variety of institutions. Significant investments, more than €1,000,000, were made in equipment, funded by a grant from the General State Budget. These have been spent on three areas of activity: Advanced High Dynamic Demand Equipment, Advanced Measurement and Non-Destructive Test Equipment and Equipment for Alternative Manufacturing Processes.These results were possible thanks to the efforts and quality of the 101-strong workforce at Ideko-IK4: There were 17 PhD on the staff, 10 studying for their PhDs and nine publications in SCI journals in 2010. This year it has also obtained an extension of a PCT patent. Ideko-IK4 is a technological centre that specialises in manufacturing technologies and industrial production, whose goal is to contribute to sustainable development in an innovative, competitive business environment. The work done in the research field has been complemented by hard work to transfer the results to business and to society through low demand industrial projects with or without public funding. Ideko-IK4 currently has R&D Collaboration Agreements with three benchmark companies in the Machine Tool and Machining area and is in the process of entering into a fourth agreement with companies working in Manufacturing Techniques for the Railway world.
In the international area, the Centre has developed nine active European projects. It took part as leader in three of these and will be leading two of four new projects that have been approved. In the national and regional areas, IDEKO-IK4 took part in two unique strategic projects in 2010, including the ALEXANDRIA project, coordinated by IDEKO-IK4 and involving 28 partners), one National R&-D Plan Project, five ETORTEK projects and six ETORGAI projects (four new projects approved in 2010).
All these achievements were possible thanks to the company's commitment to an essential idea since its founding: INVESTIGATE TO INNOVATE, based on result orientation, professionalism, team work with imagination and audacity, generating ideas and taking risks in a controlled way.
This year there have been important achievements in the Research area, which have strengthened its future commitment: to achieve successful results in high-impact projects by starting up two complete machine prototypes for micro-machining, outstanding participation by our researchers in benchmark scientific forums, such as CIRP and EUSPEN, and approval of ambitious projects in national and European programmes. Not to forget important achievements transferring the results of our research to the industrial community.Finally, the quest for scientific excellence, making Ideko-IK4 an international benchmark in manufacturing technologies and industrial production in IK4 are challenges that mark its future strategies.This brought an excellent year to a close and we have started the New Year with several initiatives, some of which have already taken shape in specific activities such as the Centre's 25th anniversary.