CARTIF was created in 1994 as Technology Centre focused on applied research and based in Boecillo Technology Park, Valladolid, Spain. CARTIF is legally established as a Foundation and its main goals are to identify technology needs and develop R&D-based knowledge, to support technological innovation in Industry, mainly among SMEs and to disseminate R&D and innovation results.

CARTIF Foundation is a leading Spanish Applied Research Centre in terms of R&D and technology transfer activities. Every year CARTIF carries out more than 100 R&D and innovation projects and similar number of customers. Nowadays CARTIF is formed up by 200 people, mainly engineers, scientists and senior researchers distributed in 9 technical divisions supported by 7 departments that ensure the Centre projects’ quality. Its main research areas are: Environment, Food and Chemicals, Energy, Automation and Process Control, Robotics and Computer Vision.

CARTIF is part of 20 research and professional networks —including 13 international— and several technology platforms. The Centre is integrated as well in the network of Innovation and Technology Centres (CIT) of the Science and Technology Spanish Commission as well as in the Spanish Federation of Technology Centres.

CARTIF keeps also a close collaboration with the most representative organisations of regional and national industrial development: Castilla y León Regional Development Agency, the Spanish Ministry of Industry and the European Commission (DG Research, DG Enterprise, DG Environment and DG TREN).