GAIKER-IK4 celebrates its 25th Anniversary with over 900 R&D Projects along this quarter century

GAIKER-IK4 is celebrating The Technology Centre celebrates 25 years of business in a state of excellent health. The results of these 5 lustra include more than 900 R&D projects, having rendered advanced technology services and organised training and dissemination activities, carrying out analyses and tests. The Centre's total revenues throughout this period have reached 119 million euros, with an average annual growth of 11%. The revenue distribution equally corresponds to its three specialisation areas.

Since 1985, GAIKER-IK4 has been dedicated to R&D related to their areas of expertise: Biotechnology; Environment and Recycling; and Plastics and Composites. Their raison d'être is research and providing reliable and innovative technology solutions in these three areas. Sustainable, competitive and innovative solutions that add value to companies, contributing to their technological and economical development.

 

Of all their activities, R&D projects have represented 83% of the total. During these 25 years, GAIKER-IK4 has developed 395 R&D Projects in the Area of Technological Learning and Specialisation. These projects have been co-financed by the different administrations (provincial, regional and national), with which the Centre has agreements and "contracts" within their R&D promotion programmes. GAIKER-IK4's participation in the different Framework Programmes launched by the European Union, has resulted in the development of a total of 79 European projects, the first one was launched back in 1991. Furthermore, the Centre has developed 518 R&D projects for Know-how Transfer to the business network. In other words, for each Technological Leaning and Specialisation project, 1.5 R&D projects under contract have been developed for businesses and industries. Of these projects for companies, 43 of them were in cooperation with business groups and 475 were for individual companies, responding to a total of 307 client companies.

 

The remaining 17% of the Centre's activity corresponds to its Advanced Technological Services (R&D services that range from technological product testing to technical assessment). Over these 25 years the Analysis and Test activities and the Technological Dissemination initiatives have resulted in 96 courses, 124 technical conferences and the publication of 276 technical papers. Also, over the years, GAIKER-IK4 has been committed to the development of new business and economic opportunities through the protection and exploitation of their results and acquired knowledge, enabling and participating in the creation of new businesses. Therefore, the Centre has participated in the creation of 15 companies or spin-offs, 8 of which were created with the participation - as partners - of GAIKER-IK4. According to the 2007 report issued by Deloitte on the socio-economic development of Technology Centres, between 1997 and 2006, GAIKER-IK4 has generated an average of 1.01 indirect jobs in the Basque Country for every direct job created in the Centre.

 

 

GAIKER-IK4 learns, adapts and develops its own technology to transfer it to their clients who come from a variety of industries. Its technological offer is multisectoral and multidisciplinary. The centre targets the following industries; transport, automotive, construction, appliance, electrical/electronic, energy, government, engineering, eco-industries, recycling, waste management, in addition to the sectors of food, health, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, among others.Most of the over 2,300 clients served over the years were SMEs.

 

With regard to the analysis of revenue by area of knowledge during these past 25 years, 35% of revenue comes from R&D&I associated with Plastics and Composites, 39% comes from Environment and Recycling and the remaining 26% is included in the field of Biotechnology.

 

 

Since its inception, GAIKER-IK4's commitment to quality and continuous improvement has been present in the Centre. Regarding the "Quality Management", the Technology Centre follows the European Excellence Management Model, EFQM, since 1997. The Centre's management, based on the EFQM model, has earned numerous awards, in addition to revitalizing the Centre's trajectory and its results. In 2002, the Centre was granted the Silver "Q" award, a prize of the Basque Government granted through Euskalit to companies and organizations that demonstrate an advanced level in their management practices. And with the achievement of the Gold "Q" in 2004, GAIKER-IK4 became the first Technology Centre to obtain both awards. GAIKER-IK4 was later awarded by EFQM, being 'Finalist' of the European Awards for Excellence in Management in 2006 and 'Prize Winner' for the best European organization 'Process Management and Facts' in 2008.

 

All these awards have turned the Centre into a European Benchmark on Excellence in Management, which stands out for all its accreditations and certifications. Besides being featured as a model for Management Excellence, the Centre is distinguished by its commitment to "Quality Management", supported by all certifications and accreditations. GAIKER-IK4 is, in fact, the only Spanish Technology Centre to be certified ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, EMAS Certificate III, Certificate of Good Laboratory Practice, in addition to several ISO 17025 accreditations to conduct tests on fire, plastics and the environmental sector.

 

 

The current GAIKER-IK4 took its first steps in Trápaga in July 1985 as "Gaiker, Grupo Tecnológico de Nuevos Materiales" (Technology Group on New Materials), sponsored by the Economic Promotion Department of the Bizkaia Provincial Council and 13 companies. Its goal was to support the business network by synthesising new materials and developing manufacturing and handling technologies of these materials. In 1988, also sponsored by the Bizkaia Provincial Council and 11 companies, Biotek was launched, being the biotechnology Centre in the Basque Country and a precursor of biotechnology in our territory.

 

In July 1992, both Centres were merged to form GAIKER Technology Transfer Centre.

 

In 1993, a year later, as members of the Basque of Technology, they moved to their current facilities in the Zamudio Technology Park and in 1997, it changed its legal form of Association to a non-profit private Foundation. Currently there are 23 companies, equally representing the Centre's 3 areas of expertise, which form the GAIKER Foundation. These companies are represented in the Board of Trustees - which is chaired by a company - that is composed of 7 other business representatives and 4 institutional representatives: The Bizkaia Provincial Council (1), the Basque Government (2) and University of the Basque Country (1).

 

In 2005 GAIKER joined Ceit, Ikerlan and Tekniker, as founding members, to foster innovation and excellence R&D creating a new Basque technological partnership, IK4 Research Alliance. Cidetec, Vicomtech and Ideko would join in a later phase. The acronym IK respond to the initials of Ikertu (Research, in Basque) and Knowledge while number "4", represents the fields of "Science", "Technology", "Innovation" and "Creativity". The foremost goal of the Alliance is to achieve a critical mass that would allow its members to provide greater scientific and technological excellence to their customers. The new alliance, which implies a concentration of knowledge and skills, employs today approximately 1,200 professionals and records revenues that reach almost 90 million euros. 2009

 

 

GAIKER-IK4 closed its accounts with a total revenue of 10.9 million euros, a figure slightly higher than the one obtained in 2008. As regards to the forecasts for the current year, the Centre's revenue is expected to reach approximately 11.3 million euros. In terms of the investments during 2009, GAIKER-IK4 has dedicated 1 million euros to this item, the acquisition of technological equipment was particularly relevant, as well as the provision of new infrastructure for the laboratories of Microscopy, Molecular Characterisation, Supercritical Extraction and Nanomaterials.

 

As per the evolution of Human Resources, the Centre increased its staff having reached 130 staff members and 27 people with training grants. Regarding the results in R&D Projects, the Technology Centre has developed 96 R&D Projects to transfer know-how to the business network "Under Contract" - 12 in cooperation with company consortia and 84 with individual companies -, responding to their clients and members of the Foundation. GAIKER has also developed 37 R&D Projects for Technological Learning and Specialisation, 12 of them in Europe which amounted to a total of 12 million euros.