http://www.catec.aero
CATEC is a technological center that develops its activity based on seven strategic lines:
1. New composite materials, their production processes, life cycle and recycling. Automation of production, assembly, inspection and testing
2. New onboard systems: electrical, hydraulic, compressed air, fuel, etc. directed to achieve the most efficient and ecological plane.
3. New Avionics Systems and subsystems, especially with application to general aviation, sports, business and Very Light Jets.
4. New techniques of air traffic management, including management of airports and their technical facilities.
5. Unmanned Aircraft, its applications and associated technologies. Special attention to commercial, civil and security applications. The UAV's as a flight test platform.
6. Development of computational simulation techniques and their applications to systems, platforms and / or vehicles (integrated systems)
7. Development of techniques, components, subsystems, systems and spatial applications.
For all these reasons, CATEC is a development tool that bases its work on technical excellence and responsiveness to its customers and intends to become, in the coming years, one of the R & D centers of national and international reference for the development of aerospace technology.
CATEC has a staff of more than 60 researchers as well as specialized technical personnel, most of them being engineers and engineers from the Industrial, Aeronautical, Telecommunications, Materials, Computer or Chemical fields, and there are also some graduates in other technical careers.
The form of Robotics DIH Spain and the Team
GRVC Robotics Laboratory at the University of Seville, leads the Robotics DIH Spain with the support of Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA) and the active participation of FADA CATEC. The three entities are currently committed to contribute to the digitalization of industry and services through robotics.
CTA
CTA is organised as an innovation cluster which is open to companies throughout Andalusia, regardless of their size. The sectors that are mostly addressed in the Robotics DIH Spain are: Aerospace and Production Processes, Agri-foods, Biotechnology, Construction and Civil Engineering, Energy and the Environment. With CTA we incorporate their considerable experience in promoting transverse projects which are based on these sectors.
GRVC
The Robotics, Vision and Control Laboratory GRVC[1] is a large laboratory (> 75 members) which plays a relevant international role in robotics, and particularly in aerial robotics and unmanned aerial systems.
GRVC combines scientific research excellence with technology development and transfer to companies. As regards Inspection and Maintenance, such a task is highly benefitted by the great collaboration with the asset owners to better understand end-users’ needs.
Such collaborative initiatives make the GRVC to be focused in generating new technologies and knowledge while transforming the I&M activities in sectors like Oil &Gas, Roads and Civil Infrastructures, Transport Hubs, etc.
We offer world-leading laboratory and test facilities in the field of aerial robotics, which highly benefits the demonstrative activities that many SMEs and end-users require from us on the effective use of robotics for risk avoidance or improved efficiency within their I&M processes.
As part of our mission, we move from laboratory to the real-life scenario: the business rules are specific of each sector and generating robotics solutions can only derive from knowing the in-field deployment of our developments. In the figure, we show some Proof-Of-Concept developed in the last years in the context of a variety of EU’s programme projects.
FADA-CATEC
CATEC is one of the R&D centres of international reference for the development of aerospace technology, particularly as regards: new avionics systems and subsystems, onboard systems, composite materials and additive manufacturing and unmanned aircraft vehicles technologies, along with its application and inclusion in the air traffic management.
Services
Robotics DIH Spain holds a set of technologies and expertise in robotics and related technologies in a manner that is not available on the market, from which proposes a set of services to favour digitizing Inspection and Maintenance of assets and infrastructures. While this background makes USE/CATEC to be very active in the robotics research area (e.g. in the aerial robotics), they also aim at the effective transference to the industrial sector. Hence, they are supporting the DIH services at creating the framework facilitating deployment of technologies, building connections and trust and understand needs of industrialists.
The geographical scope is Andalusia region first and also to the national scene. It extends also to Europe, although typically from contacts harvested at EU programs former collaborations.
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[1] https://grvc.us.es/
Connect to funding sources
Category: Access to financing, Incubator/accelerator support
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Connect businesses and public organizations to relevant funding opportunities including entrepreneurship. Lead or contribute to match for the funding opportunities. Business development as part of our service.
Format (how?): Webinars, meetings, conference calls.
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Business developer, technical expert.
Involvement, effort from DIH: Meetings with experts in funding of research, development and innovation in robotics.
Financial charge for customer: Involvement in proposal/funding investigating phase is free for everyone, but further services (e.g. proposal writing) for CTA partners only.
Funding, business plan: Subsidised by the DIH when as part of limited support offer (e.g., a 1-2 hour information meeting). Private funding when DIH involvement is only in sales phase and not in a potential consecutive project.
Hands-on training
Category: Skills and education
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Training of technical and science personnel
Format (how?): Courses given by DIH personnel. On demand and regular.
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Technical experts
Involvement, effort from DIH: 1-2 day events and shorter events, supply of training reference material.
Financial charge for customer: Paid service.
Funding, business plan: Flat-fee per seminar/training course.
Research, development and innovation opportunities
Category: Project development, access to finance
Description of activity, value proposition (what?):
Advising on technological research, development and innovation activity. Elaboration of an action plan for R&D&I with milestones, deliverables, agreement on the respective role of stakeholders and on the final delivery. Basis for initiating, e.g., bilateral projects between industry and RTOs in the DIH, or as basis for proposal writing to secure funding.
Format (how?): Meetings, conference calls.
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Business developer, technical expert
Involvement, effort from DIH: Meetings with experts in research, development and innovation in robotics
Financial charge for customer: Free if the activity can lead to project for the DIH or paid else.
Funding, business plan: Subsidised by the DIH, Private funding.
Hosting to Spin off and Start up
Category: Offering housing
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Not directly provided by the DIH, but there is a service from CATEC and CTA that redirects to the Aerospace Business Incubator of the Seville Chamber of Commerce (AEROPOLIS)
Format (how?): On demand
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Business facilitator
Involvement, effort from DIH: Office space, workspace, located in DIH premises, Internet infrastructure, lab facilities.
Financial charge for customer: Free
Funding, business plan: Subsidised by CTA and CATEC.
Awareness creation
Category: Ecosystem service, Community building, Ecosystem learning
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Robotics awareness presentation for decision-makers and suppliers, and also promotion on working groups
Format (how?): Webinar/workshops/conferences that the DIH is invited to, along with dissemination on the conclusions/recommendation of the working groups (e.g. new regulatory frameworks on UAS)
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Senior technical experts
Involvement, effort from DIH: Presentation by one technical expert.
Funding, business plan: Subsidised by the DIH or supported by the inviting organization.
Dissemination
Category: Ecosystem service, Community building, Promotion of Robotics in I&M
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Communication about the offer of services of the DIH. Dissemination of results and key facts in local language and in English
Format (how?): Information distributed through traditional mass media (press) but also digital ones e.g. magazines, web sites, social media, newsletters, mailing
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Interviews of technical experts, Experts in communication
Involvement, effort from DIH: Involvement of the communication teams belonging to the organizations involved in the DIH
Funding, business plan: Subsidised by the DIH
Ecosystem building
Category: Ecosystem service, Community building
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Active participation in forums wherein spreading the Technology and other relevant aspects for I&M, allowing the touch with professional, sectorial associations, certification bodies, public and private investors in region and in Europe
Format (how?): Peer-reviewed scientific works which first are presented at ERF, ICRA, IROS, ICUAS,… and then become reference information to be provided through the DIH web portal and via DIH contact points.
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Business facilitators, technical experts
Involvement, effort from DIH: Actions to gain visibility on the ecosystem. By means of a kind of Technological Watch, the business facilitator in the DIH disseminate among networks, clusters, associations and federations to which the organizations of the DIH belong and/or has contacts with.
Funding, business plan: Subsidised by the DIH. Potential economic upside for DIH in generating projects which involve the DIH.
Brokerage, Matchmaking
Category: Ecosystem service, Community building, ecosystem learning
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Organisation of meetings and workshops between players in the value chain to make demand and offer sides meet share ideas and analyse opportunities for collaboration.
Format (how?): Minimum one event per year at a relevant location (e.g., a Petrochemical plant, a furniture, etc.), our own facilities (e.g. an outdoor area wherein a demonstration activity is presented to the visitors) or online with presentations from stakeholders, networking lunch (if not digital), dialogue b2b, tour of the DIH if visit on site.
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Business facilitators, I&M technical experts, Subject Matter Experts on the Technology under demonstration, etc.
Involvement, effort from DIH: One-day event with participation of 3 to 9 experts from the DIH, supply of communication material
Funding, business plan: Subsidised by the DIH.
Market research, market awareness, market/technology trends
Category: Ecosystem service, Strategy development
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): provision of contact to experts in market analysis, market data held in the network and at the DIH at European and International level
Format (how?): Conference call, meeting with business developers at the DIH
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Contact to experts in market analysis
Involvement, effort from DIH: 1-2 hour with experts
Financial charge for customer: paying service
Mentoring by technical and application experts
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): One-to-one follow-up with relevant entities (e.g. asset owners) to concretized the possible usage of robotics and automation to value creation in their organization.
Format (how?): Conference calls, bilateral meetings, meetings or trials on customer's premises
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Technical and application experts
Involvement, effort from DIH: A mid-day of a set of 3-6 experts from the DIH
Funding, business plan: Subsidised by the DIH (as part of investigating project opportunities) or cost per hour for larger efforts (when the action has specifically required by the relevant entity).
Resources and knowledge sharing
Category: Ecosystem service, Ecosystem learning
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Organizing access and informing about resources, databases, seminars, workshops, conferences, field trips, newsletters and other information of interest
Format (how?): Reference information provided through the DIH, newsletters and RIMA network web portal. Conferences, field trips, workshops organized by the DIH or in cooperation with partners. Profile of DIH contact (who?): Communication team. Experts.
Involvement, effort from DIH: Involvement of the communication teams of CTA, CATEC and USE, the organizations involved in the DIH.
Financial charge for customer: Free (information sharing, some conferences) or paid (e.g., conference fee)
Funding, business plan: Subsidized by the DIH. Mixed Public and private funding.
DIH network promotion, Promotion of the offer
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Promote both the DIH and its members
Format (how?): Web-pages, newsletters. Participation on roadshows, exhibitions, dissemination, and otherwise represent interests (e.g., suppliers, end-users).
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Communication, business and technical experts
Involvement, effort from DIH: Involvement of the communication teams and technical experts.
Financial charge for customer: Free or paid.
Funding, business plan: Subsidised by the DIH. Mix of public and private funding.
Research and development collaboration
Category: Strategic RDI
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Research aiming at reaching TRL 5, removal of doubts, specifications, research and development, validation in laboratory
Format (how?): Collaborative research with several partners in Spain, mainly on avoiding risks in I&M actions, for 2 years or more
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Project manager, technical experts
Involvement, effort from DIH: Support from experts in the submission of European or national proposals. Long term participation (over 2 years) of several experts from the DIH for technical research and development in robotics
Financial charge for customer: Free or paid and/or via in-kind from the industry
Funding, business plan: Funded by European or national research programmes, mix of public and private funding, or event solely private funding (Addressing challenge from the Private Asset Owner).
Innovation projects: technology demonstrators, proof of concepts
Category: Contract research
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Research and development aiming at reaching TRL 6, application of existing technologies, validation in laboratory
Format (how?): Bilateral or collaborative projects from one to a few years.
Involvement, effort from DIH: Support from experts in the submission of European or national proposals. Participation of several experts from the DIH for technical research and development in robotics, mainly as consultant for integration processes and low-level features at UAS systems.
Financial charge for customer: Paid
Funding, business plan: Funded by bilateral contracts, European or national innovation programmes, private investors.
Proof of concept, prototyping, commercialisation/industrialisation, small series production
Category: Technical support on scale-up
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Demonstration in real environment or in realistic conditions. Adaptation of existing technologies to specific use case
Format (how?): Bilateral projects from one to several months
Involvement, effort from DIH: Supervision of final manufacture works according to Proof-of-Concepts formerly defined under contract. Support from experts in the DIH for attaining a commercial product on the in-place Proof-Of-Concept.
Financial charge for customer: Paying
Funding, business plan: Funded by bilateral contracts.
Lab facilities, equipment for lease/use (sensors, robots, robot tooling, etc.), rapid prototyping
Category: Provision of technology infrastructure
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): Demonstration with equipment held in the facilities (both, indoor and outdoor) or deployment of robotics solutions (on-board sensors, actuators, aircrafts, etc.) at customer site. Provision of test benches (for actuation, perception, etc.) whether in the VICON system in CATEC or in the OPTITrack system in USE. Provision of large-scale flying areas (e.g., test area in the experimental test flight center ATLAS).
Format (how?): Conducting experiments with the assistance of DIH personnel
Involvement, effort from DIH: Personnel from the DIH needs to be involved in the settings for ensuring a proper exploitation of the facilities capabilities. Beforehand, a proper testing plan need to be designed and agreed.
Financial charge for customer: Paying, financial charge based on daily rate and depending on the personnel involved, equipment used at the DIH and adaptation needed.
Funding, business plan: Funded by bilateral contracts, European or national innovation programmes, investors.
Certification, product demonstration & testing, comparison of products
Category: Testing and validation
Description of activity, value proposition (what?): For testing and validation of product functionalities, CATEC and USE hold and can offer access to a set of dedicated to infrastructures to make assessment in realistic conditions (e.g., outdoor/indoor for long run of flying experiments or long-range flights to be monitored). They can also organize access to infrastructure in other sectors of applications, throughout its access to other facilities at USE.
Format (how?): Conducting experiments with the assistance of DIH personnel following evaluation protocols. Provision of metrics and tools for benchmarking the utility, usability, effectiveness
Profile of DIH contact (who?): Technical experts.
Involvement, effort from DIH: Support from subject matter experts, whether from the DIH or from our networking contacts whose involvement help ensuring the maturation of solutions.
Funding, business plan: Funded by bilateral contracts, European or national innovation programmes, investors