One-liner: the Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica (Castellón) — the REDIT institute for ceramics: materials testing, decarbonisation R&D, and circular-economy projects for Spain's ceramic-tile heartland (Castellón/L'Alcora concentrates most of Europe's tile production).
What a founder gets
- Ceramic-materials & product testing/characterisation across the full value chain — bodies, glazes, frits, tiles.
- Applied R&D lab access for decarbonisation (e.g. H₂-fired frit melting, electric kiln firing), digital transformation (AI in manufacturing, e.g. KER-IA), circular economy (recovered raw materials, "green" graphite from plant waste), and sustainable chemistry — a real testbed route for materials/cleantech/construction-tech founders.
- THE_X trend-scouting unit — a dedicated foresight team (Trends Hub Explorer) that tracks design/market trends (e.g. presence at Milan Design Week) — useful market-intelligence access for founders in habitat/design-adjacent products.
- Consultancy, certification and training — technical courses in ceramic lab work and certification (running a 2nd edition due to demand); environmental certifications (ISO 45001, EPD verifier accreditation).
- Full instrument detail (routes, contact, how to structure engagement as a subcontractor in an IVACE grant): see the companion program page ITC Ceramic Technology Lab.
Who it's for
- Ceramics, glaze/frit, advanced-materials and construction-tech startups, and companies decarbonising industrial/ceramic processes. Engagement is service/project-based, so useful from validation through growth stage.
How to engage
- itc.uji.es — no single "apply" portal; engage via a direct testing/consultancy contract, a joint R&D project, or as a named subcontractor cost inside an IVACE grant (PIDI-CV/INPYME).
- Associate membership ("Asóciate") — companies can become ITC associates for preferential access/benefits.
- Physical base: Universitat Jaume I (UJI) campus, Riu Sec, Castellón — also runs the Sandbox Urbano de Valencia collaboration with REDIT.
- See ITC Ceramic Technology Lab (program page) for the full engagement-route breakdown.
Key facts
- Structure: ITC-AICE — a joint UJI (public university) + AICE (Asociación de Investigación de las Industrias
Cerámicas, private industry association) technology institute; hence
ownership: hybrid. - REDIT member — one of the network's 11 institutes; REDIT-wide, the institutes worked with 14,800+ companies and generated €223M+ of induced R&D&I investment in the Comunitat Valenciana in 2025 (REDIT-wide figures, not ITC-specific).
- Notable projects (2025-26): INNO4H2O (national water-innovation ecosystem ITC coordinates), BRISA (safe industrial-technology testing, with UJI), CERAMIC+ (EU project reviving traditional ceramic craft), H2frit (hydrogen-fired frit melting), GREEN METH (reducing fossil-fuel demand), Sandbox Urbano de Valencia (with REDIT).
- Recognition: Premio NOVA 2026 (Innovation in Industrial Processes).
- Governance visits (2025-26): Consellera Marián Cano and Conseller Vicente Martínez Mus both visited ITC,
underlining its role in GVA innovation strategy —
#status/verifyfor current appointee accuracy.
Relations
- Part of: REDIT
- Partners with: Cluster Ceramico
- Runs: ITC Ceramic Technology Lab
- See also: Ceramics (niche)
- See also: Testbeds (support)