On the sofa with…Raul Gallego, Corporate Innovation & Sustainability Direction / Head of Advanced Material, Antolin

Advanced Manufacturing – What advanced materials are revolutionizing the transportation sector?

Raúl Gallego: Well, I believe that what is revolutionizing the transportation sector today are materials that have a sustainable origin. It’s true that this could mean materials that are recycled or reused, or those derived from natural raw materials, such as waste products. When this is combined with achieving high quality and delivering a positive user experience so the end user perceives it as a premium material, I think that is what is and will continue to revolutionize the sector.

A.M.: What challenges do you think the industry faces in incorporating innovative materials on a large scale?

R.G.: The main challenge, in my opinion, is the cost of these materials. That is to say, a new material always has a higher cost during its development phase. But once that hurdle is overcome, I believe another challenge lies in the performance expectations for these materials. The requirements for commodity materials are currently very high, and the specifications for new materials might need to be adjusted to align with their unique properties. Otherwise, it will become increasingly difficult to integrate them into the sector.