About Us
The Center for Innovation in Advanced Manufacturing Technologies ( CFA) is a strategic project of the Regional Government of Andalusia, spearheaded by the Department of Economy, Finance, and European Funds.
With an investment of of more than 18 million euros, co-financed with through the ERDF, the CFA has infrastructure and state-of-the-art state-of-the-art to enable industrial companies to access and accelerate the transfer of knowledge to the market.
Center for Innovation in Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
This center, located in a 1,707-square-meter facility in Puerto Real (Cádiz), is an industrial setting that—thanks to its equipment and available resources—enables companies to develop innovative technological projects that can be easily applied and transferred to their production processes.
The CFA is available to companies throughout Andalusia and nationwide: any company (large or small) in any sector that submits a project that meets the requirements can make use of this center.
With a clear commitment to serving various industrial sectors, primarily in advanced manufacturing within the aerospace and naval sectors, automotive, infrastructure, and construction, renewable energy, and biomedicine, among others, andthe CFA provides resources that will enable companies to become more competitive and increase the levels of technology adoption with a focus toward Industry 3.0 (automation, robotics, electronics, and ICTs) and Industry 4.0 (cyber systems, smart industries, big data, comprehensive monitoring and hyperconnectivity, the Internet of Things, etc.).
CFA Objectives
The CFA's goal is to improve and support the competitiveness of companies through innovation. A center of this type, designed and equipped to host industrial trials, enables companies to improve their manufacturing technologies and quickly integrate them into their production processes, which will make them more competitive, help them secure better contracts, and gain access to new markets.
To achieve this goal, the CFA has been designed according to a strategic model based on four technological areas and is equipped with specialized equipment that reflects the latest technological trends inadvanced manufacturing .
Areas
These areas were identified following an extensive market study of global technology trends and an analysis of the needs of Andalusian and national industrial sectors, particularly strategic ones such as the shipbuilding and aerospace industries. The areas are:
Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is a revolutionary technology that has transformed the way industrial components are designed and produced.
Robotics
Robotics is an essential pillar of advanced manufacturing, thanks to its ability to improve efficiency, precision, and safety in production processes across a wide range of industries.
Metrology and Digitization
At the CFA, metrology and digitization play a key role in ensuring the quality of manufacturing processes.
Drones
At the CFA, the research, development, and application of drone-related technologies is one of the most innovative and strategic areas.
Fidamc
The company responsible for managing the CFA is Fidamc, an R&D&I and training center dedicated to the research, development, and application of innovative technologies in the design and manufacture of composite structures. Fidamc is a national and international leader in the research, development, and application of composite materials; it is a leading organization in creating lighter, more efficient, and more sustainable solutions, ready for the mobility of the future.
Public-Private Partnership
Companies can use the facilities and bring their own staff. This flexibility adds value to the center’s operating model because, on the one hand, it allows company staff to familiarize themselves with the machinery needed in the final phase of a project or product’s development; and, on the other hand, if the center hosts staff from companies working on different projects , synergies will be created for other new projects that may arise, thereby fostering knowledge transfer . At the CFA, leading companies can interact simultaneously with companies in the value chain, universities, and other technology providers.
The CFA enables companies in strategic sectors in Andalusia and throughout Spain to carry out R&D&I projects in facilities equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and, subsequently, to produce more and better products with greater uniqueness and competitiveness. This competitive edge will enable them to secure higher-value contracts or projects, resulting in increased workloads and greater prosperity for Andalusia—a key objectiveof the Andalusian government in its commitment to the region’s industrial and economic development.
Public-private collaboration has been instrumental in the creation of the CFA. The Regional Government of Andalusia has relied on the input and participation of business associations, leading companies, supporting companies, SMEs, and others. This combined effort and public-private partnership counts Navantia, Airbus, Dragados, the Andalusian Naval Cluster, the Andalusian Aerospace Cluster, the Cádiz Business Confederation, and the University of Cádiz among its key partners.
