On April 15, we held the Annual Meeting of Members of the Xarxa de Referència en Fabricació Additiva de Catalunya (XaRFA). The event, which took place in the FME Assembly Hall, marked the starting point of the new 2026–2028 period and reaffirmed that the XaRFA community is stronger and more cohesive than ever.
An institutional welcome committed to innovation
The event opened with an institutional welcome by Mr. José María Cabrera, Director General of CIM UPC and of the network, joined by Mr. Jordi Berenguer i Sau, Vice-Rector for Transfer, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UPC, and Mr. Rafael González, Head of the Knowledge Transfer Promotion Area at the Government of Catalonia.
Lua Po Vicente, promoter of the network, presented the results of the past three-year period, highlighting the network’s evolution and consolidation. During her presentation, she emphasized the strategic expansion of members across Catalonia. This growth has enabled XaRFA to position itself as a key connector between cutting-edge research and the real needs of the industrial sector.
Inspiration and discussion: from lab to market
The most technical and inspiring part of the event began with a keynote by Mr. Albert Mascarell, Chief of Tech Transfer at Mobile World Capital Barcelona, who provided expert insight into how to scale technology transfer in collaborative environments, the role of networks, and the value of coordinated work to accelerate innovation.
One of the most anticipated moments was the round table entitled “From lab to market: what are we missing?”, moderated by Ms. Mercè Segarra (Vice-Rector at the University of Barcelona). The discussion featured Mr. Marc Crescenti (Reinforce3D), Ms. Irene Garcia Cano (CPT-UB and TECNIO), and Mr. David Adrover (IAM3DHUB and Addliance). The speakers analyzed current sector challenges from different perspectives and stages of the value chain, highlighting the importance of public-private collaboration, bidirectional engagement, shared language and vision, and the need to streamline processes to ensure competitive solutions.
Matchmaking and community in action
One of the most dynamic parts of the event was the working group sessions. This participatory space enabled members to share technical capabilities and real needs, facilitating the identification of new opportunities, improvement areas, and future initiatives collaboratively.
The meeting concluded with a networking session and a visit to the CIM UPC Pilot Plant, reinforcing the network as a real and tangible working environment where technology takes shape.
From XaRFA, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all attendees, speakers, and collaborators who made this event a success. Special thanks go to the CIM UPC team, whose effort and organization ensured the quality of the event. We also acknowledge the continued support of DGTSC and AGAUR, which strengthens our commitment to society and to research groups, institutions, and partner companies.
The journey toward 2028 has already begun, with the certainty that the strength of our community lies in the sum of all its parts. As we often say within the network: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”
Let’s keep building the future of the 3D industry in Catalonia—together!
