Innovation in the development of Industry 4.0 can reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing activity. As proof of this, the European project Ecograb, led by the Basque technology center Ceit-IK4 and in which the company Fagor Automation, from the Mondragón Corporation, also participates. The project aims to replace existing manufacturing systems, which use chemical components that are often harmful to the environment, with a more sustainable and versatile methodology.

Specifically, the methodology developed at Ecograb aims to replace the photolithographic processes of large companies that use chemical elements intensively. To do this, the multidisciplinary team of technicians and scientists participating in Ecograb (Industrial system for recording diffraction/polarization gratings for application in femtosecond laser encoders) is working on a more advanced optical technology based on femtosecond lasers, a free technique of chemical components, and therefore, more respectful with the environment.

The consortium led by Ceit-IK4 also includes the Complutense University of Madrid, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the manufacturer of optomechanical systems SnellOptics.