GAIKER Foundation

GAIKER is a technology centre specialising in biotechnology, sustainable composites, functional and sustainable polymers, and recycling and circular economy. Located at the Zamudio Technology Park (Bizkaia) and a member of the BRTA network, it supports companies across sectors such as automotive, aerospace, food, pharma, construction, and packaging, contributing to their competitiveness through applied R&D&I.

Its focus is on the ecological transition of industry, developing more sustainable materials, promoting circularity, and delivering tailored solutions through a high-level research team.

In the area of SSbD (Safe and Sustainable by Design), GAIKER has a prominent role within its international projects. It develops and uses New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) based on in vitro methods to assess the potential hazard of chemical substances and materials for human health and the environment, applying Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA). In addition, GAIKER has extensive expertise in environmental, economic, and social life cycle assessment (LCA), enabling a comprehensive evaluation of chemicals and materials across their entire value chain.

Among its active SSbD projects, DESIDERATA adapts SSbD methodologies to real use cases, seeking alternatives to substances of concern; SUNRISE focuses on an integrated impact assessment tool covering the full product lifecycle; and BIOSAFIRE, led by GAIKER, aims to develop safe and sustainable bio-based flame retardants. All are funded under the European Union's Horizon programme.

GAIKER’s role in the iLCA4SSbD project will mainly focus on developing tools to facilitate the application of LCA to companies, particularly SMEs, seeking to understand the environmental impact of their products and implement ecodesign in their product development processes. GAIKER will lead WP5 and will participate in case studies to validate the tools developed in the project.