CASANDRA: Forging the Intelligent Future of European Manufacturing

When, on the 6th of March, we announced our incorporation into the CASANDRA project, we encapsulated the essence in little more than two minutes of reading: "GOGOA joins forces to drive digital and sustainable manufacturing." That announcement merely opened the door; today, we invite you to step through it and discover what is unfolding within.

Europe stands unrivalled in the manufacturing of complex, large-scale components, with Spain’s metalworking sector thriving above 8% growth in recent years. Yet, the bar continues to rise: ever-stricter regulations, demands for complete traceability, cost pressures, and the inexorable imperative to reduce carbon footprints. CASANDRA was conceived precisely to ensure that these challenges become advantages, not obstacles.

The consortium —a distinguished gathering of automation experts, shipbuilders, energy leaders and research centres— labours around a deceptively simple yet magnificently ambitious idea: to create a continuous digital thread, accompanying each piece from its conception to its commissioning, breathing life into a living digital twin. Embedded sensors, 3D vision systems, and decentralised edge control converse in real time, allowing discrepancies to be detected and addressed long before they would otherwise become apparent.

Here is where GOGOA makes its mark. Our industrial exoskeletons integrate seamlessly into the work environment, exchanging data with collaborative robots and the AI systems orchestrating operations. Whether a welder hoisting a twenty-kilo tube or an operator fitting a reactor shell, mechanical assistance is precisely modulated —neither excessive nor insufficient— according to posture, load and task duration. Each biomechanical record enriches fatigue models, enabling the Decision Support System (DSS) to recommend refinements: a different welding sequence, an adjusted feed rate, or a timely preventative pause. Ergonomics thus graduates from a compliance checklist to a vital production variable.

This promise shall be validated through two TRL 6 demonstrators: the fabrication of pressure reactors (IDESA) and offshore shipbuilding assembly (NODOSA). In both cases, digital twins of product, process, and resource shall be synchronised, and when AI suggests adjustments, exoskeletons shall discreetly implement them, ensuring a seamless experience for the worker. The targets are tangible: a 30% reduction in quality defects and a 40% decrease in cumulative muscular strain.

CASANDRA transcends mere technology; it represents a cultural evolution. Edge intelligence, federated learning, and frugal AI ensure data is processed where it is generated and presented intelligibly (XAI) to those making decisions. Instead of vast, centralised servers, a delicate web of distributed intelligence refines production and optimises energy usage.

Our journey has only just begun. By the third quarter of 2025, our exoskeletons shall be fully integrated with collaborative robots; by year’s end, the DSS shall be operational at the edge; and by early 2026, we shall measure the full carbon footprint of our workflows. Each milestone brings the market closer to a truly connected, autonomous, and, above all, human-centred factory —where artificial intelligence and robotics serve to amplify, not replace, human capability.

We shall continue to chronicle our progress. In the meantime, if you are a manufacturer seeking to explore how an exoskeleton might integrate seamlessly within your production line, we invite you to contact us at info@gogoa.eu. The future of responsible manufacturing is already under construction — and we would be delighted to welcome you to the site.

The Driving Force Behind CASANDRA: 17 Pillars of Excellence

At the heart of this grand vision lies the collaboration of two complementary groups:

Corporate Consortium (CDTI):

• DGH (Valladolid): Four decades automating facilities across automotive, aerospace, construction, and food sectors.

• IDESA (Asturias): World leader in the fabrication of large-scale static equipment for refining and petrochemicals.

• ONS (Madrid): Creator and steward of the open-source cloud platform, OpenNebula.

• NODOSA Shipyard (Galicia): Half a century constructing, repairing and modernising vessels worldwide.

• ARTSOFT (Madrid): Specialists in augmented and mixed reality for industrial digitalisation, via their Eyeflow suite.

• TRIMEK (Álava): Dimensional metrology excellence (CMMs, 3D scanning, software) across demanding industries.

• GOGOA (Bizkaia): Designers and manufacturers of clinical, industrial, military, and sports exoskeletons with a strong IP portfolio.

• NVISION (Bizkaia): Innovators in IoT + AI edge solutions, digital twins and predictive maintenance systems.

Research and Academic Consortium (AEI):

• AIMEN: 58 years of R&D leadership in materials, laser technology, additive manufacturing, and robotics.

• IRI-CSIC/UPC: Spain’s foremost authority in robotics, computer vision, and artificial intelligence.

• CDEI-UPC: Pioneers in industrial equipment design, dynamic system analysis and mobile robotics.

• CITIC-UDC: Centre of Excellence in AI, big data, high-performance computing and cybersecurity.

• INNOVALIA: Basque R&D hub, a collaboration platform for cutting-edge technological enterprises.

The strength of CASANDRA lies in this carefully woven tapestry: from heavy welding to cloud computing, from advanced sensing to human biomechanics, each partner brings unique capabilities, all converging to transform smart factories from theoretical ambition to tangible reality.