The Advanced Manufacturing Centre (CFA) in Cadiz has begun its journey with strength and ambition. To learn more about the challenges and vision of this new project, we spoke with Isaac Pérez, its director, who shared with us the key factors that are setting the course for this innovative centre.
Pérez explained that what motivated him to take on the management of the CFA was, above all, the possibility of creating and developing a project ‘that will transform the future of key industrial sectors, such as aeronautics, shipbuilding, renewable energies and biomedicine’'. He also pointed out that the centre was created with an ‘exciting challenge’ and the conviction that it will be a success due to its ability to add value to the industry.
As for the CFA's mission, he stressed that its purpose is to be a space at the service of industry, where innovation projects are developed to improve products and services, while increasing the productivity of companies. ‘The key to its uniqueness lies in the fact that it has emerged from the industry itself, identifying the technological challenges of the future from the outset and equipping itself with the necessary equipment and personnel to address them,’ he explains.
Initial investment of €18 million
The project has an initial investment of more than €18 million from the Andalusian Regional Government and ERDF funds. ‘Thanks to this support, the CFA can offer companies technological resources that would otherwise be inaccessible, while opening up new avenues of public funding to ensure its long-term sustainability,’ he says., al tiempo que se abre a nuevas vías de financiación pública para garantizar su sostenibilidad a largo plazo”, comenta.
The centre is structured around four priority areas: additive manufacturing, robotics, metrology and digitisation, and drones. Pérez stressed that the impact of each will depend on the sector. ‘In aeronautics, for example, robotics and 3D printing are essential to cope with increased production and weight reduction in designs; in the naval and construction industries, productivity and digitisation are key; while in biomedicine, 3D printing promises to open up new possibilities,’ he stresses.
Although it has only just opened its doors, the CFA already has projects underway. Companies in the aeronautics, naval, renewable energy, construction and medical sectors have shown great interest and have begun to collaborate. ‘The first orders include new designs with 3D printing, robotisation processes and high-value biomedical applications,’, he says.
Regarding the impact on the province, Pérez expressed his conviction that over the next three to five years, the CFA will contribute directly to the creation of skilled jobs, the development of higher value-added products, and improved competitiveness for local businesses. ‘In addition, its role in training and inspiring new generations, who will be able to visit the centre from schools, universities, and vocational training centres, will be essential.’
Regarding the challenges facing the CFA in this initial stage, he acknowledged that the main challenge will be to address technological problems that have never been solved before, ‘but it is also an opportunity for companies to gain competitive advantages. In this sense, partnerships with companies and institutions are already guaranteed, allowing us to focus on innovation.’
Looking to the future, Pérez imagined a CFA that within a decade will be a benchmark for having promoted business growth, improved medical treatments and awakened vocations in young people. ‘I would like many to be able to say that they were inspired by what they saw at the CFA,’ he said, convinced that technology can be a driving force for transformation for Cadiz and for society as a whole.
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