The Government of Spain boosts the infrared technology sector with SETT's entry into Madrid-based Sensia

The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, during his visit to Sensia

The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, has announced the entry of SETT (Spanish Society for Technological Transformation) in the Madrid-based company Sensia, with a public co-investment of 9 million euros. This Spanish company is a world leader in creating innovative solutions based on infrared technology, which is key to Spain's strategic sovereignty.

Founded in 2008 and starting life as a spin-off from the Carlos III University of Madrid, Sensia is located in the Leganés Technological Park (Madrid) and has more than 100 employees. It is one of the leading Spanish companies in the production of infrared photodetectors, with numerous applications in fields such as the environment, the sustainability of industrial activity and the security and detection of natural disasters.

The project, which will receive a total injection of 19 million euros, in a co-investment by SETT together with the fund manager of the financial group A&G, plans to develop a new generation of sensors that will significantly improve the performance of the current ones, which would give Spain and Europe a fundamental competitive advantage over other players such as Israel, the United States or China.

"Sensia has its origins in a public university in Madrid. It is an example of the return to society of public investment in talent, the fact that the true seed capital of transformative projects has its roots in the university and grows with public-private partnerships like this one, which the government is determined to continue to promote", stressed the Minister Óscar López during a visit to the company's facilities. The minister also highlighted the strategic priority for Spain of preventing and detecting natural disasters such as forest fires, which were responsible for the destruction of 47,711 hectares in 2024.

Pioneering Artificial Intelligence in Infrared Imaging for automatic detection and unattended operation.

Sensia is the most advanced company in AI-based Intelligent Infrared Imaging for detection automation. Its technology does not require a human observer for detection and allows, for example, the early and automatic detection of forest fires or the detection of toxic and polluting gas leaks. For example, its cameras are used in the energy sector for the decarbonisation of fossil fuel industries or the monitoring of ship emissions during port operations.

The company has the highest degree of technological autonomy known in the industry and develops and produces all the technology it offers, both hardware and software. It is also responsible for the AI algorithms and their training, thus having full control over the quality and performance of its products, which places the company at the forefront of the infrared camera industry.

Its sensors do not require illumination or external radiation emissions, but detect heat and are therefore undetectable unlike other systems such as radar, laser, GPS or radio frequency. Infrared radiation thus offers a unique tactical advantage in, for example, satellite observation or homeland security missions.

The government's investment in the company's shares is within the framework of the PERTE Chip, with the aim of consolidating organic growth in the industrial and technological sector, as well as boosting the development of the company's own infrared sensors.

Also participating in the project alongside SETT, a Public Business Entity attached to the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Function, is the A&G Energy Transition Tech Fund (A&G ETTF), a group that invests in hardware and software companies focused on accelerating the energy transition and decarbonisation of key sectors of the economy, providing growth capital to European companies with cutting-edge technologies.

Non official translation