- The 4th Edition of the Industry–Academia Collaboration Meeting is finalising preparations for its celebration at IMDEA Materials on October 17.
Following the last edition held in 2020, the time has come to explore the new challenges composite materials face in different modes of transportation, including road, rail, and air.
To address this, the Industry-Academia meeting will feature five speakers from entities associated with AEMAC, representing leading companies in their markets, such as AIRBUS and TALGO, along with two specialized engineering and composite manufacturing companies: BOLD Valuable Technologies and ZIUR Composites.
The session will begin with a keynote address from Dr. Arantxa Tapia Otaegi, Accredited Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Doctor of Industrial Engineering from the University of Navarra. She also served as the Basque Government’s Minister of Economic Development from 2012 to 2024.
Tapia will join this composite materials meeting, delivering her first motivational talk following her recent departure from the Basque Government to return to academia and her professorship.
In her talk, titled “An Industrial Engineer in Basque Industrial Policy for 12 Years,” the expert in innovation and industrial growth policies will share key success factors from the Basque Government’s economic investment and development model.
Tapia will offer her perspective as a prominent woman in politics, industry, and academia, highlighting the value chain necessary to achieve the event’s goal: fostering collaboration opportunities within existing funding frameworks and aligning research efforts with industry needs.
Regarding the challenges in composite materials, sustainability will, of course, be addressed during the morning presentations. The sustainability of composite materials is a major concern and challenge for the entire industry.
The talks will explore the end-of-life and service time of these materials, particularly in the aerospace, rail, and road transport industries. Other key challenges to be discussed include safety, user experience, and lightness.
Additionally, topics related to design, engineering, and optimization of manufacturing processes will be debated, such as analytical methodologies for composite part calculations and the development of products with integrated sensors.
In the afternoon, following a networking session that includes a cocktail lunch for all attendees, there will be a tour of the IMDEA Materials laboratories, which are hosting the fourth edition of the Industry-Academia Collaboration Meeting—marking the first time this event is held at the headquarters of one of AEMAC’s Associates.
Subsequently, pre-arranged B2B meetings with the speakers will take place. These meetings will allow registered attendees to address the challenges identified, which will be presented in greater detail a week before the event.
Additionally, networking opportunities will be available for all associates, speakers, and collaborators, including JEC Composites, Tecnalia, and IMDEA Materials.
The event has limited capacity, and tickets will be on sale until October 7, with a 50% discount for AEMAC Members.
TICKETS: 4th Edition AEMAC Collaboration Meeting
