Ikerlan achieves a record turnover of EUR 30.8 M with double-digit growth in its turnover with companies

technology centre that is a member of the MONDRAGON Corporation and the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), closed 2023 with turnover exceeding EUR 30 million for the first time in its history, with a growth of 10%. Transfer projects played a major role in this result, with a turnover of EUR 16 million, 15% more than in 2022, and the third consecutive year of double-digit growth.

Transfer projects played a major role in this result, with a turnover of EUR 16 million, 15% more than in 2022, and the third consecutive year of double-digit growth

Its success is the result of its close collaboration with Basque and international companies and the work carried out by its team of highly qualified professionals, to which it added 46 new recruits and consolidated 18 new members. In this area, it is worth highlighting the investment made in the training of junior staff, a pool of 120 students from 12 universities and faculties, which amounted to EUR 2 million. It is also important to mention the different initiatives implemented to reinforce the value offer to people, such as the work flexibility applied in the three Ikerlan headquarters (Arrasate-Mondragón, Hernani and Bilbao), the extension of teleworking conditions and the implementation of the Zaindu programme to promote care for people.

The opening of its new headquarters in Bilbao was a significant milestone last year, as well as the participation in the launch of three new start-ups created from different technological assets of the centre: Orbik Cybersecurity in the field of industrial cybersecurity (and which has been selected by Basque TEK Ventures), BATTBELT in the field of electrical energy storage and KAIZEN PLAY in the field of artificial intelligence. Furthermore, Ikerlan invested EUR 2.5 million in infrastructures and equipment, including the new Data Processing Centre, which will provide Ikerlan and its customers with a cutting-edge infrastructure to develop projects in areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, federated learning and artificial intelligence.

During his speech at the Annual General Meeting, yesterday at the Amaia Municipal Theatre in Arrasate-Mondragón to announce these results, Ikerlan's General Manager, Ion Etxeberria, stated that "these results consolidate the strategy of sustainable growth in income with companies and strengthening the transfer income ratio defined in our Strategic Plan with the aim of providing maximum value to companies and contributing to their competitiveness and the creation of jobs".

The event also made reference to the 50th anniversary that Ikerlan will celebrate in 2024, with an extensive programme of social and institutional events and activities

Etxeberria also celebrated "Ikerlan's reputation and recognition as a benchmark in areas such as attracting and developing talent, thanks to a pioneering junior staff strategy that we set in motion from the very creation of Ikerlan and which provides enormous value in the current context, or in the area of business creation, where we are reaping the rewards of the efforts made in recent years".

The event also made reference to the 50th anniversary that IKERLAN will celebrate in 2024, with an extensive programme of social and institutional events and activities, the culmination of which will be an institutional event that will take place in October in Arrasate-Mondragon, coinciding with the laying of the first stone of the building that will house IKERLAN's headquarters in Arrasate- Mondragon.

Transfer in strategic industrial sectors

Transfer revenues accounted for 54.2% of IKERLAN's global turnover, and were mainly focused on key fields for the competitiveness of companies such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics and industrial automation, embedded systems, mechatronics and electrical energy storage and conversion.

In 2023, the main sectors of activity were transport and mobility (39%), advanced manufacturing (22%) and energy (17%), with a diversified portfolio of more than 140 customers from industrial groups as important as Orona, CAF, ULMA, Fagor or Ingeteam in the immediate setting, and major multinationals such as General Electric, Nestlé, Telefonica or Accenture internationally. Furthermore, with the aim of boosting innovation in the local SME sector, in 2023, IKERLAN collaborated with more than 80 companies in more than 160 projects, representing more than 50% of its customer portfolio and 20% of the centre's total turnover.

With a diversified portfolio of more than 140 customers from industrial groups as important as Orona, CAF, ULMA, Fagor or Ingeteam in the immediate setting, and major multinationals such as General Electric, Nestlé, Telefonica or Accenture internationally

At the forefront of the generation and valorisation of scientific and technological knowledge

2023 was the year of a major breakthrough for Ikerlan in the valuation of the assets derived from the technology centre's own research. This is a line that the Basque centre intends to strengthen in the coming years, as a formula for increasing the value it contributes to both society and companies, creating quality employment with high technological value and as a source of additional funding for Ikerlan's own research.

As far as research is concerned, Ikerlan obtained revenue of EUR 13.5 million from public research programmes, which has enabled it to continue to strengthen its technology acquisition and development activities, with a view to its subsequent transfer to companies. Consequently, 24.3% of Ikerlan's total revenue came from programmes promoted by the Basque Government, 20.3% from initiatives promoted by different European institutions and 1.2% from projects financed by the General State Administration and the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

About Ikerlan

Ikerlan is a leading centre in technology transfer and in providing competitive value to the industrial sector. It offers comprehensive solutions combining different technological domains in three main areas: digital technologies and artificial intelligence, embedded electronic systems and cybersecurity, and mechatronic and energy-related technologies. It currently has a team of 420 people and offices in Arrasate-Mondragón, Donostialdea and Bilbao.

Ikerlan is a member cooperative of the MONDRAGON Corporation and the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), and represents a sustainable, competitive business model in permanent transformation. In 2024, Ikerlan celebrates its 50th anniversary and remains faithful to its founding objective: developing technology and training people to enhance the innovation and competitiveness of the companies in its environment.