The project involves a proprietary GaN manufacturing process that will enable advancements in new high-performance electronic devices and circuits capable of operating in very demanding frequency ranges. This work includes the development of specialized integrated circuits (MMICs) and advanced integration and packaging techniques that facilitate their incorporation into more compact, reliable, and efficient modules and antennas. Launched last January, the initiative has a budget exceeding nine million euros and is expected to last four years. It will allow the country to establish, for the first time, a comprehensive value chain encompassing everything from the design of advanced devices to their manufacturing, integration, and final validation. The project falls under the Science and Innovation Missions Program (PEICTI 2024–2027) of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, managed through the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), and contributes to strengthening Spanish technological sovereignty in a strategically critical area with the aim of integrating into the future European value chain for compound semiconductors.

The consortium, led by Indra Group, includes leading companies such as Televes Corporación, SPARC Foundry, and RBZ Robot Design, which will contribute complementary capabilities in advanced electronics, integrated circuit design, and, in the case of SPARC Foundry, its open industrial manufacturing platform for III-V and GaN technologies, key to providing the project with scalable production capacity. Scientific teams from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the University of Vigo, the University of Salamanca, and the Galician Telecommunications Technology Center (GRADIANT) are also collaborating, contributing specialized research in GaN architectures, device characterization, development of compact models, and new approaches to circuit integration.

“Gallium nitride is poised to transform the next generation of defense and communications systems, and leading a project like GIGaNTE clearly demonstrates Indra Group’s commitment to developing critical technological capabilities from Spain. Taking on the coordination of this strategic initiative allows us to foster a world-class industrial and scientific ecosystem and move towards much more powerful, efficient, and reliable radar, electronic warfare, and communications systems. Having the capacity to develop and produce it in Spain is fundamental to strengthening the technological sovereignty and competitiveness of our industry at a time when Europe needs its own solutions to reinforce its strategic autonomy,” stated Joaquín Ponz, Head of Portfolio and Innovation at Indra Group.

Boosting the GIGaNTE chip ecosystem is part of Indra Group's commitment to strengthening national capabilities in critical core technologies, a strategy also pursued through SPARC Foundry, a company in which it holds a majority stake of 37%. In June 2025, Indra announced its investment in SPARC to lead the design and production of gallium nitride-based chips and other III-V technologies in Spain, in one of Europe's three most ambitious initiatives in photonic and radio-frequency semiconductors. In January of this year, the company took another step forward with the start of construction in Vigo on Spain's first GaN chip factory, a pioneering facility that will reinforce technological sovereignty and serve as a foundation for future advanced systems in the defense and aerospace sectors, consolidating Indra's role as a driving force in the national industry in a strategic area for Spain and Europe. This industrial infrastructure forms the basis of the project's future manufacturing capabilities and is integrated into the development of SPARC Foundry's technology platform.