This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Maier inaugura su banco de pruebas de nuevos materiales
Maier inaugurates its new materials testing bench
14/04/2011
on April 14, 2011
The cooperative society Maier has submitted the extension of the facilities of its technology centre (MTC), which from now will have 1,700 square meters. Integrated in Mondragón Corporation, the firm that manufactures components and subassemblies for the automotive industries and electrical appliances has made an investment of EUR 5.5 million to have new spaces to influence the processes of research and development, according to Acicae, the automotive cluster of the Basque country.
Leaders of the Basque cooperative will give the results of the extension works of its technological, - located in the polygon Arabieta of Ajangiz - Centre, launched in December 2009. The new complex, built in an L-shaped as an extension of the old building of MTC, - built in 1995, will make it possible to centralize all of the activity of the Maier group with regards to innovation and knowledge in Biscay. Those responsible for the firm considered "vital" have a new facility that will serve as a test of new materials for their clients and components. Not in vain, the new ERM will have Labs with cutting edge technology to carry out tests to the different components that will be testing at pre-industrial level, but also to make the analysis of the processes of manufacturing and research. In so far as to the outside, "has new functional spaces and a glazed façade decorated with slices of glass that simulate grids of cars, top product of Maier," they have indicated.
The cooperative, which has currently with four production plants, - Nafarroa, Vigo and two abroad: the United Kingdom and in Czech Republic-in addition to the Ajangiz, and a workforce of more than 1,000 workers, has managed that part of the funding for the investment comes from the hands of the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia, through the Department of innovation and economic promotion - with one million euros. But also via the budgets of the State, through negotiation between the PSOE and PNV for its approval. Jeltzale training achieved a total of EUR 85 million for Euskadi in projects in the field of innovation, and the cooperative of Biscay will benefit from that aid, with another million euros. The inauguration attended by the President of Mondragon Corporation, José María Aldecoa, who will be accompanied by the director-general of the Group Maier, Juan Luis Irazábal and the President of Maier S. Coop., Julen Madariaga. The deputy general of Bizkaia, Jose Luis Bilbao, and Xabier Garmendia, Basque Deputy Minister of industry are also present.
