The Metal Industry 4.0 Congress brought together over 120 sector experts at Fira de Barcelona – Gran Via on April 8, 9, and 10.
Vak Kimsa was present, participating in a vibrant session where real experiences, challenges, and inspiration were shared: Round Table “Innovation, entrepreneurship, and female talent in the metal industry”, from the ADVANCED FACTORIES Expo & Congress 2025.
“Buying a ready-made product is not doing R&D”, reminded us Pilar González Gotor, Head of the Institutional Promotion and Territorial Cooperation Department at CDTI, as moderator of the table.
Pilar invited Helena Rodríguez Barrufet, Head of Mixing Engineering and R&D, who had the pleasure of sharing the table with Carole Tonello Samson, General Manager at Business Development, Commercial & Applications Director at HIPERBARIC, and Estela Sánchez Aparicio, General Manager at DICOMOL, 2nd Vice President of ASCAMM and partner of EJE&CON (pull of executive women and board members).
Innovation is a necessity, not a luxury
Three companies with different relationships and the nexus of CDTI.
At Vak Kimsa we have launched three major projects with public support, and we are starting the fourth. “We are very happy to have the support of CDTI, even though the paperwork is complicated”
At Dicomol, Estela commented that “much was learned from a “failed” project, that like it or not, you have to go through bureaucracy; it’s like a fuse that tells us how far we can go.”
Hiperbaric has been involved in about twenty projects, with 1.5 full-time people dedicated only to processing aid applications. “They put us on the map“. Carole explained that “CDTI contributed what is now 16% of our company, and it’s because they saw us as strategic.”
The data speaks for itself
“32 aid instruments, 1.5 billion euros available in 2024, and 70% of the beneficiaries are SMEs,” Pilar highlighted.
CDTI is one of the organizations that offer aid and subsidies. A key support. “R&D is expensive, which is why turning to public funds is a fantastic option,” Helena pointed out. And it’s not just an internal investment: “in the end, it benefits society“.
Female talent, the great challenge (and opportunity)
“What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” This was how the final stretch of the debate began, with the question thrown out by Pilar.
“I didn’t see myself working in an office but wanted to see machines, to be surrounded by technology in motion!“, shared Carole, who leads initiatives such as the STEM Challenge to inspire vocations from secondary education.
Helena and Estela agree: “It’s a cultural issue. Role models and programs are needed to bring production closer to women“. At Vak Kimsa we participate in the Industrial Doctorate Plan, we have university interns and develop internship programs for Dual Vocational Training.
“My father probably didn’t found the company thinking about succession, because he had 3 daughters,” Estela shared with a smile. In the end, here I am, at the head of the company. “We find talent in high schools. This isn’t about age, it’s about people“.
A phrase that sums it all up?
“Don’t put up barriers for yourself. I am an astrophysicist and nuclear engineer, and I was often asked – even in the family environment – why… My answer was that I studied this degree because I liked it!“, said Pilar.
Quite true. Female talent is missing “in the workshop”.
Thanks for the initiative!
A day full of knowledge and commitment to promote a more innovative, inclusive, and brave industry.
#Innovation #WomenTalent #MetalIndustry #CDTI #STEM #I+D+i #WomenInIndustry #HighImpactCompanies #AF2025