VENTURI advances successfully towards more sustainable aviation: second project milestone achieved

The VENTURI project has successfully reached its second milestone, marking another step forward towards more efficient and sustainable aviation. The validation session took place on July 9, 2025, at the facilities of the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies (CATEC) in Seville, with the active participation of representatives from the three companies and the technology center that make up the consortium: Integración Tecnológica Empresarial (ITE), Surcontrol, INESOPTICS (IOVI), and CATEC.

During the session, the technical and economic progress achieved over the past year was presented to CDTI, the Spanish Center for the Development of Technology and Innovation. The validation of this milestone not only confirms the strict compliance with the project schedule but also represents crucial institutional and technical support for an initiative that focuses on automating critical processes in aeronautical manufacturing to optimize laminar flow and reduce emissions, noise, and energy consumption.

Did you know what the Venturi effect is in aviation?

The Venturi effect describes the behavior of a fluid that, when passing through a narrowing, increases its velocity and reduces its pressure. In aviation, this physical principle is applied to multiple systems requiring aerodynamic efficiency, but it also serves as a metaphor for the purpose of the project: harnessing technology to reduce resistance and gain speed towards a cleaner, more advanced industry.

What is the VENTURI project about?

VENTURI is an industrial research project funded by CDTI and co-funded by the European Union (NextGenerationEU) and the Government of Spain (Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, PRTR). Its main goal is to develop advanced solutions to improve the efficiency of aircraft aerodynamic contours, particularly in critical areas where assembly discontinuities occur, known as Step & Gap. These small separations directly affect laminar flow, creating friction, noise, and higher energy consumption.

The consortium is working on five key areas:

• Sensors and collaborative robotics to automate the measurement of Step & Gap, improving accuracy and reducing operator workload.
• Computer vision applied to intelligent sealant dispensing, optimizing application and minimizing errors that could generate turbulence.
• Augmented reality to automatically verify geometry and tolerance of parts such as leading edges, ensuring more efficient and aerodynamic assemblies.
• IoT and industrial cyber-connectivity, focused on securing data generated on the shop floor.
• Digital twin technology, enabling simulation and validation of laminar flow behavior at different design and production stages.

Cybersecurity and Digital Twin: ITE’s contribution to this milestone

In this third stage of the project, Integración Tecnológica Empresarial (ITE)—which had previously developed the aircraft prototype simulating a wing used for testing—was responsible for advancing two of the project’s technological pillars: digital twin technology, developed jointly with CATEC, and industrial data security.

For the latter, the expert team from ITE’s Cybersecurity Unit, specialized in both IT and OT industrial cybersecurity, carried out a live cyberattack simulation as part of the milestone validation. This demonstration showcased the performance of ITE’s integrated technological solution to ensure the security of data generated by the intelligent systems within the VENTURI project. A further step in embedding cybersecurity as an essential element of Industry 5.0.

Collaboration and industrial impact

The success of this second milestone has also highlighted the collaborative environment among the consortium teams. As Pablo Arranz, Head of R&D at ITE, explained:

“Since the end of 2024, the developments and research that each company had been working on separately were brought together at CATEC’s facilities in Seville. The collaborative spirit during the July 9 session reflected the joint work we’ve been carrying out. Attending on behalf of ITE were David Jiménez and myself; from Surcontrol, Manuel Jesús Aldana and Antonio Ibáñez; from Impulso Industrial Alternativo, consultant Alba Soto; from INESOPTICS (IOVI), José Amador and Ana Cordobés; and from CATEC, Gonzalo Díaz and Rafael Luque.

It was not only a technical session but also a true networking event among experts. At ITE, we are very proud and optimistic about the achievements so far: we have proven that the project works, and in this case, certified all the work carried out in 2024. We will continue working closely to obtain final certification and, once achieved, explore the different pathways to real-world application of these technologies in the aeronautical industry.”