PINK is pleased to welcome three new demonstrator partners: Leartiker, the National Composites Centre (NCC) and Valeo Electrification. Representing complementary positions along the innovation value chain, they will play a key role in validating PINK’s methodologies and digital solutions under real industrial conditions.
Leartiker is a non-profit applied research and technology centre based in the Basque Country, Spain. Established as part of the MONDRAGON cooperative ecosystem, its mission is to enhance the competitiveness and innovation capacity of industry through applied research, technological development and effective knowledge transfer. Rather than manufacturing products itself, Leartiker works closely with companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to develop new materials, products and manufacturing processes, helping to bridge the gap between scientific R&D and industrial implementati
Leartiker operates at the interface between academia and industry, combining scientific excellence with a strong focus on practical application. Its activities encompass collaborative research, contract R&D, technical services, pilot-scale validation and technology transfer across fields including advanced polymer materials, sustainable manufacturing, food technology, biomaterials and circular economy solutions. Through its integration into the Basque innovation ecosystem and participation in numerous European research projects, Leartiker contributes to accelerating the uptake of innovative technologies and strengthening industrial competitiveness.
The National Composites Centre (NCC) is a world-leading, not-for-profit innovation organisation based in the United Kingdom. As an independently operated subsidiary of the University of Bristol and a core member of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult, NCC’s mission is to transform cutting-edge research into industrial impact. Acting as a bridge between academia and industry, NCC helps organisations of all sizes develop, validate and scale innovative technologies, products and manufacturing processes, accelerating their journey from early-stage research to commercial application.
Originally established as the UK’s National Centre of Excellence for composite technologies, NCC has evolved into a multidisciplinary innovation organisation supporting advanced materials, digital engineering, sustainable manufacturing and industrial transformation across sectors including aerospace, automotive, energy, defence and advanced manufacturing. Through its world-class engineering expertise, open-access facilities and collaborative innovation programmes, NCC enables companies to de-risk technology development, improve manufacturing capabilities and accelerate the adoption of next-generation technologies.
Valeo is a global automotive technology company headquartered in France and one of the world’s leading suppliers to the automotive industry. The company designs, develops, manufactures and commercialises innovative technologies and integrated systems for vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket, with the overarching mission of making mobility safer, smarter and more sustainable. Its activities focus on four strategic technology domains: electrification, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), software-defined vehicles and intelligent interior systems, and advanced lighting technologies. Through continuous investment in research and innovation, Valeo supports the transformation of the automotive sector towards low-carbon, connected and increasingly autonomous mobility.
Operating in numerous countries with an extensive global manufacturing and R&D footprint, Valeo combines industrial-scale production with strong technological leadership. The company collaborates closely with vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, research organisations and innovation partners to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation mobility solutions. Sustainability is embedded throughout its innovation strategy, with a particular emphasis on decarbonisation, circular economy principles, energy efficiency and the responsible use of materials across the entire product life cycle.
Why the Demonstrator Partners are Valuable for PINK
The three demonstrator partners – Leartiker, NCC and Valeo – represent complementary positions within the European innovation ecosystem and together provide an excellent environment for validating PINK’s methodologies across the innovation value chain. While all three organisations are active in advanced materials and sustainable product development, each contributes a distinct perspective that strengthens the project’s industrial relevance.
Leartiker brings expertise in applied research and technology transfer, helping to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and industrial application. NCC contributes capabilities in industrialisation, digital engineering and manufacturing scale-up, providing an ideal environment for validating PINK’s digital methodologies in advanced manufacturing settings. Valeo complements these strengths as a global industrial end user, ensuring that the project’s approaches are evaluated against real industrial requirements and pathways to market.
Together, the three demonstrators cover key stages of the innovation pathway, from applied research and technology transfer, through industrial scale-up, to deployment in global value chains. Their complementary expertise strengthens PINK’s ability to validate its digital methodologies under real-world conditions and accelerate the industrial uptake of the project’s results.
