Eva Bejarano

AIMPLAS is a plastics technology centre with more than 30 years’ experience in working to solve the challenges facing the use of plastic in today’s society in order to improve people’s quality of life and ensure environmental sustainability.

Related to these main purposes, AIMPLAS is focused on circular economy, sustainability and recycling along all its activities: R+D+I projects, technological services, training and events. As a technology centre, AIMPLAS is engaged with the industry but also with the Administration, collaborating in policy making, and participating intensively in the development of standards at national, European and international level.

AIMPLAS is a market-oriented centre, working for all those sectors where plastic is a key material such as: packaging, construction, automotive and transport, recycling, graphic industry, aeronautics, agriculture, electrical-electronic, energy, medicine, nautical, aerospace, furniture, leisure and sport, among others.

Most of the projects have been financed by the European Commission, but AIMPLAS has also worked on contracts financed by the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, GIZ, United Nations, etc.

AIMPLAS offers solutions in the plastics sector, throughout the entire value chain, from raw material manufacturers to transformers, end users and recyclers. Experts in the development of new products related to the plastics industry and offering the necessary technological support to carry out projects, improving the properties of the materials and optimising the transformation processes and taking into account the end of life of these plastic products (sustainability).

AIMPLAS is made up of a team of more than 260 highly qualified professionals, complemented by more than 12,000m2 of facilities with the latest technological advances:

• 6,500 m2 of pilot plants (more than 35) for the processing and recovery of plastic materials for research, formulation of new materials and improvement of the different existing processes. The equipment of the plants covers all the processes (transformation and recovery) of plastics, whether for thermoplastics, thermosets or composites.

• 4,500 m2 of laboratories, where characterisation of plastic materials and products, with focus on the safety of food contact materials, validation of automotive plastic parts, analysis of waste and recycled materials, and assessment of biodegradability and compostability, is performed on raw materials, intermediate/final products, including recycled materials and plastic waste.

• 1,000 m2 for training, with all the resources available for face-to-face or streaming courses. In addition, online courses and webinars are held. Different courses are held on a regular basis.

In 2023, AIMPLAS had revenues of more than 21.3 million euros, worked with more than 3,300 customers worldwide and had more than 840 associated companies. These revenues come from: 70% from R&D&I projects, 23% from technological services, 5% from training and 2% from membership fees.

AIMPLAS is a member of nearly 90 associations and platforms related to the plastics sector worldwide. AIMPLAS is also participating in nearly 90 standardization bodies (committees, subcommittees and working groups), at national (UNE), European (CEN), and international (ISO) level, mainly related to plastics and rubber, and many of them being focused on circular economy, sustainability and recycling in different ways. (Standardization committees).