CT Ingenieros is a leading Spanish provider of mechanical engineering and aviation services. The firm is a major supplier to EADS, the aerospace and defense group which is the parent company for Airbus, based in Toulouse, France.

Spanish R&D is flexing its muscles within the European aerospace industry. The French affiliate of CT Ingenieros has over 100 employees and a clear niche in research. Specifically, the company is expert in composite materials, made from carbon fiber and used in structural components for Airbus and aerospace manufacturing. The company’s components are much lighter than metal parts.

The Spanish parent company got the ball rolling 25 years ago, concentrating on the automobile sector. But soon after it began to diversify its services to other fields such as aviation, railways, shipbuilding and aerospace. The definitive step came in 2009, when it was chosen by EADS as a preferred supplier. Since then CT Ingenieros has become a leading international group within the sector. Employing about 1,000 workers, the company is present in Spain, France, Portugal, England, Germany, India and Brazil. The designation from EADS, to which it was already a supplier in Spain, is considered to be a reward for the firm’s technical capabilities.

Toulouse, which is France’s fourth largest city, is a magnet for investment in both research and industrial development.