AIMPLAS, Technological Institute of Plastic, has participated in 2015 in a total of 123 R + D + i projects. These are mainly projects carried out for sectors such as container and packaging, automotive and transport, construction, environment and recycling, electrical and electronic, and aeronautics.
A total of 227 companies participated in the development of these projects, of which 183 are SMEs. Together, these R & D & I actions generated a return for the companies involved of 12,6 million euros. euros.
In the year in which it celebrated its 25th anniversary, AIMPLAS has exceeded 2.000 client companies and has increased its revenues to 8,7 million euros. Specifically, as a technological partner of its clients, AIMPLAS has accompanied these companies in carrying out R & D & i projects, which account for 71% of total income, as well as in the execution of technical advisory services, analysis and rehearsals (18% of income) or in training actions (6% of the total). In addition, the number of associates has maintained its upward trend to 554 associates.
A total of 120 professionals work at AIMPLAS in areas related to R + D + i but also in the provision of other services to companies in the plastics sector such as technical advice, analysis and testing or training. Currently, AIMPLAS has an analysis and testing laboratory that makes it the technological center in Spain with the highest number of tests on plastics, accredited by ENAC. Specifically, during the past financial year, more than 6.500 technological services were developed and 158 training actions were carried out, attended by 2.518 students from 889 companies and totaling 3.963 hours of training.
AIMPLAS is also an ally of the plastics industry thanks to its Plastic Observatory. It is a proprietary system of technological surveillance and competitive intelligence that provides access to high-value-added information to help companies in the sector in their strategic decision-making. In 2015 the Plastic Observatory reached 3.812 users.
The growth in AIMPLAS 'turnover has been accompanied by an expansion of both its facilities and its services. In the case of its pilot plant, the center currently has more than 2.000 square meters of facilities that position it as the best equipped in plastic transformation technologies at the national level and as an international benchmark in plastic materials and their processing. In 2015, a new filament extrusion line for the printing of parts using 3D printing technology was incorporated into the equipment of this plant. Thanks to it, the technology center incorporates new capabilities to carry out R&D projects, such as modifying materials to achieve functional properties such as conductivity, solubility, antimicrobial, etc.
