ÁNIMA holds its Founding Meeting and sets out its priorities for the coming period

The Spanish Association for Humanoid Robotics and Physical AI held the first meeting of its Board of Directors on 2 October in San Sebastián. Since its launch on 4 September, more than 80 companies have joined the association.

The Founding Board meeting marks a further step in the consolidation of ÁNIMA. During the meeting, the composition of its Board of Directors was finalised, and the association’s future areas of focus were planned and prioritised with a view to promoting the humanoid robotics and physical artificial intelligence ecosystem in Spain. The new association is a joint initiative of AFM Cluster, the organisation representing advanced manufacturing in Spain, and AER Automation, the Spanish Association for Robotics and Automation.

The presidency of ÁNIMA is held by Carlos Mendez of Aritex, with Francesco Ferro of PAL Robotics and Agustín J. Sáenz of TECNALIA serving as vice-presidents. Alfonso Ganzabal of SISTEPLANT takes on the role of secretary. The board members are representatives from Alisys, Eurecat, Fagor Arrasate, Fagor Automation, Grupo Saltó, GMV, ML Humanoids, AFM Cluster and AER Automation.

Naiara Zubizarreta, director of STECH and ADDIMAT – both part of the AFM Cluster – will take over as director of ÁNIMA, whilst Alex Salvador, director of AER, will serve as deputy director. Their extensive experience in the voluntary sector will help to drive the association’s activities and strengthen coordination with its members.

The Board’s composition brings together expertise in the development and manufacture of humanoid robots and their components, software development, applied research and solutions integration, alongside the experience of organisations representing the sector. This diversity provides a foundation for addressing the technological and industrial challenges of humanoid robotics and physical AI from a shared perspective.

The number of members registered since its launch reflects the interest in establishing a collaborative ecosystem in this field. With the initial priorities defined, ÁNIMA is moving forward with organising its activities. The next meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled for mid-November.