TECNALIA has launched the start-up Konbus+, which specialises in advanced high-speed thermal spraying technologies for the manufacture of components
The applied research and technological development centre TECNALIA has launched the deep-tech start-up Konbus+, with the aim of bringing to market advanced high-speed thermal spraying technologies based on continuous and pulsed combustion processes. These technologies enable the creation of advanced coatings that improve the durability of components and reduce wear and tear, thereby cutting production costs through lower gas consumption, shorter processing times, and greater efficiency and productivity
Specifically, Konbus+, which has access to the technology that TECNALIA has been developing for 25 years, will bring to the industrial sector two proprietary advanced thermal spraying technologies that represent an alternative to traditional processes based on detonation and high-velocity combustion.
First industrial applications
Konbus+, based at the Basque Country Technology Park – Campus Donostia, is now entering its industrial development phase and positioning itself in strategic high-value-added markets, such as machinery and tools for the wire drawing, paper and automotive industries, with a clear international focus. The strategic plan also envisages, in the medium term, expansion into the aeronautical sector – currently the world’s largest market for thermal spraying technologies – as well as the exploration of new opportunities in emerging fields, such as the manufacture of electrodes for electric vehicle batteries.
The technological solutions underpinning Konbus+ have reached a high level of technological maturity and have been pre-qualified by TECNALIA for use in the international ITER project, one of the largest global scientific initiatives in the field of fusion energy. This endorsement positions the new start-up as a new European player in advanced surface technologies and advanced manufacturing, capable of translating high-impact scientific knowledge into real-world industrial applications.
Boosting the deep tech ecosystem
The creation of Konbus+ reinforces the technology transfer strategy driven by TECNALIA, aimed at transforming its research results into new deep tech companies capable of generating industrial impact, business competitiveness and sustainable economic growth. This is a new success story for TECNALIA, which now has 21 portfolio companies, 100% of which are deep-tech start-ups, and which have generated a total of 149 jobs and a turnover of €8.75 million.
