Type
Research Center
Address
Calle Raposal, 65
26580 Arnedo La Rioja
Spain
Description
The Footwear Technology Center of La Rioja (CTCR) was constituted in July 2006 as a private non-profit association for the promotion, research, development and technological innovation of the footwear industry in La Rioja.
Located in the industrial town Arnedo, the Footwear Technology Center of La Rioja serves as the hub of the sector and the area, providing with its special design and architecture, one of the best facilities in the north of Spain. The Center integrates equipped labs as well as rooms specially designed for trainings, seminars, congresses, business meetings, etc.
Our mission is:
- Research, development and innovation to create added value for business.
- Improvement of the competitiveness of the industry, at a national and international level.
- Specialization in giving comprehensive solutions to businesses (more than 10 years of experience managing projects for the future).
The CTCR has more than 110 partners, of which 80% are footwear manufacturers or distributors and 20% are related industries. In addition, more than 400 customers have hired the specialized services of the CTCR: 54% manufacturers or distributors, 38% related industries and 8% others.
Footwear Technology Center of La Rioja
Footwear Technology Center of La Rioja
Contact Person
Javier Cortés Cameros
Head of the R&D&I Unit
E-mail
proyectos@ctcr.es
Phone
+34941385870
Equipment
The Footwear Technology Center of La Rioja (CTCR) has 5 research lines with their appropriates laboratories and work areas:
- Advanced Materials - Nanotechnology
- High-Performance Liquid Chromatography- HPLC
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy- FTIR
- Inductively Coupled Plasma combined with Mass Spectrometry - ICP-MS
- Gas chromatograph/flame ionization detector - GC/FID
- Cost reduction and production increase through nanomaterials.
- Shape memory polymers
- Intelligent materials that change color under certain external stimuli.
- Microcapsules containing active substances.
- Energy efficiency technologies.
- Additives and new polymers capable of self-regenerating.
- Technical improvements through new materials or nanotechnology: slip resistance, fireproof, antibacterial, impact resistance, electrical conductivity...
- Chromatography.
- Rubber mixer.
- Hydraulic press.
- Intelligent Manufacturing - Mechanics and Prototyping:
- Rapid prototyping.
- 3D printers.
- 3D digitalization of models.
- Intelligent Manufacturing - Electronics and Automation.
- Development of wearables.
- Technological automation and process controls.
- Collaborative robots
- Tracking technologies.
- Production, stocks and logistics control through RFID tags.
- Technologies to improve the ergonomic and heat comfort.
- Development of protective equipment through new intelligent materials and embedded electronics.
- Development of integrated security systems.
- Technologies for the personalized adaptation of the garment to the client.
- Smart textile fabrics.
- Digital Transformation - ICTs:
- Photoshot360º®: 360º product photography and processing, for subsequent publication in digital channels.
- Three-dimensional reengineering system, based on product photographs.
- View360º: visualization of 3D models on mobile devices. eMarketing
- New technologies that involve the consumer in the design process.
- Artificial intelligence for the development of competitive products.
- Technologies for the personalized adaptation of the garment to the client
- Technologies that analyze the client’s behavior.
- Personalized marketing strategies adapted to the consumers.
- Technologies that dynamically create segmented information.
- Apps that recommend products based on the user’s needs.
- Augmented reality on smartphone apps.
- Design and development of virtual 3D catalogues.
- Sustainability – Biotechnology and Environment:
- Life Cycle Assessment, to reduce environmental impact.
- Recycling technologies and raw material reuse technologies.
- Study on residues and on the recovery of its components.
- Development of biodegradable materials.
- Ecodesign.
- Microbiological development of bacterial cellulose.
- Slip resistance equipment.
- Impact resistance equipment.
- Footwear heat insulation equipment.
- Footwear cold insulation equipment.
- Suntest - Light ageing chamber.
- Spectrophotometers.
Equipment Link
Services
The Footwear Technology Center of La Rioja (CTCR) offer the following services:
- Sustainability- Biotechnology and Environment
- LCA and eco-design.
- Implementation of environmental standards and eco-labels. Carbon footprint.
- Development of footwear components with antimicrobial activity.
- Development of biodegradable and more sustainable biomaterials.
- Bioassays: evaluation of antibacterial and antifungal activity.
- Development of fermentation processes to obtain biopolymers.
- Bio-based antimicrobial compounds.
- Circular economy.
- Valorization of waste
- Physical and chemical recycling technologies for different footwear components.
- Digital Transformation- ICTs:
- Photoshot360º®: 360º product photography and processing, for subsequent publication in digital channels.
- Three-dimensional reengineering system, based on product photographs.
- View360º: visualization of 3D models on mobile devices. eMarketing.
- Traceability, real-time control and inventory technologies for production, stock and logistics control through RFID/Radiofrequency.
- Business Intelligence through radio frequency identification.
- Machine Vision applications, in conjunction with robotics, as well as for pattern recognition.
- Design and usability (UI/UX) of software interfaces for application control.
- Artificial vision
- Augmented reality applications as footwear testers; also, as training tools.
- Big Data for the use of large volumes of data and its analysis in real time
- Advanced materials- nanotechnology:
- Improvement of shear-floor bonding by atmospheric plasma treatments.
- Study of hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings by contact angle.
Nanocomposites capable of reducing vulcanization time by more than 30%. - Impact energy absorbing materials.
- Materials with electrical properties.
- Improvement of the friction coefficient behavior in steel and tiles.
- Bactericidal materials.
- Microencapsulation of substances.
- Self-repairing materials.
- Polymeric materials with shape memory.
- Pruvasol®: anti-UV additive, protector against sunlight and artificial light for white and clear rubbers.
- Design of nanoporous inorganic materials with multifunctionality
- Intelligent Manufacturing- Mechanics and Prototyping:
- 3D design and development of drawings (Rhinoceros, Inventor, AutoCAD) for machinery, footwear, etc.
- FEM simulation of mechanical problems and analysis of components under fatigue.
- Process optimization through data mining and genetic algorithms.
- 3D scanning and metrology.
- Rapid prototyping technologies through 3D printing (FDM, SLA, MJP).
- Materials characterization.
- Rapid prototyping for the development of molds for short series.
- Prototyping of customized machinery for different uses.
- Measurement, modification and adaptation of lasts.
- Improvement of industrial processes through Lean methodology
- Intelligent Manufacturing-Electronics and automation:
- Development of wearables, embedded systems in textiles or footwear.
- Implementation of IoT technologies.
- Design of analog and digital systems. Circuit simulation.
- Microcontrolled applications and PCB design and advice for assembly and testing.
- Artificial intelligence and data mining for integration in decision systems.
- Automation and process control technologies (under PC, PLC, or Microcontrollers).
- Implementation of industrial and collaborative robotics.
- Implementation of IoT technologies.
- Intelligent and electronic textiles
- Quality:
- PPEs certification according to international standards.
- PPEs testing and evaluation.
- Implementation and consulting on management systems.
- Internationalization:
- International legal and financial advice.
- Development of strategic plans.
- Grant management for the attendance to national and international fairs.
- Support in the organization of consortia for international promotion purposes.
- Project Management:
- Technological supervision.
- Management of public funding for R&D&i projects.
- Fashion:
- TrendHelp.
Services Link
Activities
Technology Readiness Levels
Sectors
Service for Industry and SMEs
Yes