Ideko leads advanced manufacturing R&D at the 75th CIRP General Assembly

The technology centre Ideko, a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), led Spain’s R&D efforts in advanced manufacturing at the 75th General Assembly of the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP), held in Turin, Italy, from 23 to 29 August.

This year, Ideko attended the event, one of the world’s leading meeting points for the professional community specialising in manufacturing technologies, with a delegation of six people and five scientific contributions—the highest number presented by a technology centre at this edition.

This contribution is particularly significant given the demanding evaluation process that papers undergo before acceptance, and demonstrates the quality and strength of the research activity carried out by the technology centre.

The research addresses challenges in grinding, laser manufacturing, machining, precision robotics and five-axis milling.

A Diverse Range of Capabilities

The five papers presented by Ideko reflect the diversity of the centre’s scientific capabilities and its focus on some of the key challenges currently facing advanced manufacturing, including digitalisation, precision and sustainability.

On the one hand, María García-Moreno presented new strategies to reduce the depth of helical marks on cylindrical components during grinding processes, as well as to generate defect-free surfaces under certain conditions. Xavier Beudaert, meanwhile, presented advances in an automated system for optimising the continuous cutting of sheet metal through laser manufacturing.

Three of the contributions are led by researchers who completed their PhDs at Ideko in 2025, reflecting the centre’s commitment to developing outstanding scientific talent.

Ideko researcher Aitor Madariaga also contributed to the keynote presented by Pedro Arrazola, Professor at Mondragon Unibertsitatea. The paper reviews the state of the art in one of the major challenges in machining: part distortion during the process. It covers everything from the mechanisms that cause distortion to existing techniques for its prediction, measurement and minimisation, while also identifying future research avenues related to smart manufacturing.

Robotics applied to machining was another area in the spotlight. Beñat Iñigo presented a research project focused on improving the characterisation of the stiffness of industrial robots subjected to external forces. The methodology developed makes it possible to estimate and validate the deformation of the tool centre point (TCP), taking measurement uncertainty into account—an essential aspect in advancing towards robots capable of carrying out machining operations with greater precision.

Finally, Markel Sanz presented a study addressing one of the most complex challenges in five-axis thin-wall milling: predicting process stability when both the dynamics of the workpiece and the contact between the tool and the material vary. The model developed integrates different simulation tools to anticipate potential instabilities and optimise the process. It has been applied to an industrial case to reduce errors on the machined surface while maintaining stable manufacturing conditions.

Developing Research Talent

Ideko’s participation in CIRP 2026 also has special significance from a talent development perspective. Three of the five contributions were made by researchers who completed their PhDs at the centre in 2025: María García-Moreno, Beñat Iñigo and Markel Sanz.

“The acceptance of their research at a scientific forum of CIRP’s standing recognises the work carried out during their doctoral theses and reflects the centre’s ability to train new generations of researchers who combine scientific excellence with an understanding of the real challenges facing industry,” highlights Jokin Muñoa, Ideko’s Scientific Director, who led the delegation.

This commitment to knowledge and people is also reflected in the centre’s scientific indicators. In 2025, Ideko achieved 27 publications in indexed scientific journals and held 42 active patents, while 30% of its team holds a PhD and a further 11 people are currently developing their doctoral theses.

But beyond scientific recognition, participation in CIRP serves a strategic objective for the centre: generating outstanding knowledge that can subsequently be turned into technology transferable to industry. By bringing together leading international scientific experts in the different disciplines related to manufacturing, being part of this community allows Ideko to benchmark its research lines against leading experts, anticipate technological trends and establish new international collaboration networks.

“For us, participating in CIRP is one of the indicators of the scientific level of our research. Being present this year with five contributions means that the knowledge we are generating is being tested and reviewed in one of the world’s most demanding scientific environments in our field,” adds Jokin Muñoa.

The technology centre’s relationship with the International Academy has strengthened over the years. Ideko regularly participates in its scientific meetings and played a particularly significant role in 2022, when it organised the CIRP General Assembly in Bilbao, chaired by Jokin Muñoa as Chairman.