MAIER and CIDETEC strengthen their strategic R&D alliance with a new agreement

• The technology center will continue to serve as the strategic partner of the developer and manufacturer of aesthetic and functional plastic products for the automotive sector, currently undergoing profound technological transformation.
• Both entities will also seek to generate new ideas and business proposals.

MAIER, a multinational leader in the manufacturing of aesthetic and functional components for the automotive industry, and CIDETEC, an applied research organization specialized in surface engineering, have renewed their strategic alliance to continue collaborating closely in R&D&I and in exploring new business models. The new agreement, valid for two years, consolidates CIDETEC as a key and indispensable technological partner for MAIER.

Since MAIER joined CIDETEC’s board of trustees in 2003 and signed its first collaboration agreement in 2005, both entities have built a strategic relationship based on the joint development of cutting-edge technologies. This new Framework Agreement aims to culminate and extend this trajectory, positioning CIDETEC as a research leader, a hub for attracting new technologies, and a generator of new ideas—with the goal of maintaining MAIER’s position as an innovative and leading company in the field of aesthetic and functional assemblies for the automotive sector.

The collaboration not only focuses on technological innovation within the automotive sector, but also opens the door to diversification into new markets, leveraging CIDETEC’s expertise and MAIER’s industrial capabilities. Specific collaborative spaces are planned to explore potential new businesses beyond the traditional boundaries of the sector. An example of this is the creation, one year ago, of OBS—a company for the design and manufacturing of battery components aimed at the electrification of mobility and at electricity storage from renewable energy sources—created by MAIER and involving CIDETEC.

Additionally, the agreement establishes that both entities will annually evaluate new business initiatives arising from CIDETEC’s technological capabilities, which may become new strategic opportunities for MAIER.

This agreement represents another step forward in consolidating a long-term collaboration model based on innovation, knowledge transfer, and a shared vision for the future.