On 7th March, Pedro Astola, Head of R&D+i, attended the 2023 Aeronautical Technology Plan (PTA) Conference in Seville, entitled: Next Generation Funds for the Transformation of the Aerospace Sector. The event was attended by more than 100 representatives of the Andalusian aerospace industry and was organised by the Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA), the IDEA Agency, Andalusia Aerospace, Aerópolis and the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI).

This year, the increase in the number of Andalusian projects in the calls for proposals was highlighted, with Andalusia being the third Spanish region with the highest participation in the Aeronautical Technology Plan. The main challenges for future research and innovation projects focused on the development of technologies that facilitate efficiency and zero emissions; unmanned aerial systems (UAS); and intelligent and advanced systems and manufacturing with the aim of promoting the digitalisation of processes. In short, the current challenges are framed within environmental, digital and social sustainability.

Titania was invited as an example of a technological SME highlighting projects funded in the 2021 call and to share the project approved in the 2022 call. In this respect, Pedro Astola presented the RECICOM project in which a consortium made up of four partner companies (University of Cadiz, Ipunto, Fluidmecanica SUR and DroneTools) are participating, with Titania as project leader.

The RECICOM project focuses on the recovery of carbon fibre from current thermostable aircraft materials in order to create a new composite with 3R resin and thus manufacture with this new material, to which a new monitoring technology will be applied through acoustic emission to finally evaluate the functionality of the second-generation material.

This project is funded by the CDTI through the call for 2022 in the procedure for granting support to Sectoral Business Innovation Initiatives, Aeronautical Technology Programme, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (financed by Next Generation EU funds) and the State Programme to Catalyse Innovation and Business Leadership, which is part of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2021-2023. The project has a budget of €2.400.000 and a duration of 2 years.

Here, you can watch the complete video of the PTA 2023 Conference published on the YouTube channel ‘Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía’.