The University of Jaén (UJA) and the Advanced Centre for Aerospace Technologies (CATEC) are drawing up a joint work programme to strengthen technological capabilities in the field of defence, security and artificial intelligence. This first draft establishes four innovative projects to be carried out in Jaén, under the auspices of CETEDEX, the Ministry of Defence’s Technological Centre for Development and Experimentation.
This was indicated by the rector of the UJA, Nicolás Ruiz, after a visit to the CATEC facilities in Seville, where he held a meeting with our CEO, Joaquín Rodríguez Grau, with whom he discussed the establishment of a joint work programme to strengthen technological capabilities in the field of defence, security and artificial intelligence.
Nicolás Ruiz, who was accompanied by the Vice-Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer, María Victoria López Ramón, and the Director of the OTRI, Carmen Martínez, assured that CATEC, located in Seville and with offices in La Coruña and Jaén – in the case of Jaén at the ATLAS centre in Villacarrillo – is configured as ‘a strategic ally for the University of Jaén, due to its knowledge in the field of additive manufacturing, autonomous systems, robotics and also space and aeronautical applications, an ally with which we can and must carry out projects, also taking advantage of the potential of the UJA in the field of artificial intelligence, computing, communications, robotics systems and advanced automation systems’.
Regarding the projects addressed, the Rector of the UJA pointed out that a first draft has been drawn up in which four ‘important and transformative projects to be carried out jointly in Jaén, under the auspices of CETEDEX’ have been established, in order, firstly, to develop technologies, secondly, to test them, and thirdly, to contribute to the generation of a technological innovation ecosystem, and ultimately industrial, through these projects, to the generation of a technological ecosystem of innovation, and ultimately industrial, ‘that responds to the needs of the Ministry of Defence, but that at the same time, allows to stimulate and change the production model of our province,’ said Nicolás Ruiz.
In this sense, the Rector considers that this collaboration represents ‘a clear opportunity’ to develop these projects, relying on funding, where possible, from competitive public calls such as Horizon Europe, as well as trying to form alliances that allow national funds to be obtained for the development of technology, its testing and trials.
During their visit to the CATEC facilities in Seville, the UJA representatives, headed by the Rector, were also able to see the main facilities of our centre and how they work, as well as the products they are developing and the services they provide to companies.
