AIJU is a Spain-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research and technological innovation in the toy and childcare products industry. Established in 1985, it collaborates with over 446 associated companies and offers a wide range of services, including product safety testing and development, market studies, and training programs. AIJU also participates in numerous national and European projects, focusing on enhancing product quality and competitiveness in the sector.

1. AIJU overview

2. AIJU TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE

3. AIJU RESEARCH CENTRE
AIJU – Research Association of the Toy
and related industries– is a private non-
profit making organisation aiming to
boost research development and
technological innovation within toy,
childcare products and leisure industry.
Thus making it possible the achievement
of a constant competitiveness increase
and product quality improvement.

4. AIJU is located in Ibi in the Toy Valley within the region of
Alicante in the south-east of Spain :

5. 52.338
Technological services
to companies
446
Associated
companies
869
Active clients
69
Professionals
SERVICES IN FIGURES 2014

6. 200
Companies taking part in
regional, national and
European projects
CDTIs
6 proposals submitted
6 companies involved
6 proposals accepted
1.271.000€ for companies
139.000€ for AIJU
NATIONAL PROJECTS
20 proposals submitted
35 companies involved
6 proposals accepted
14 companies taking part
400.000€ for companies
250.000€ for AIJU
EUROPEAN
70 proposals submitted
65 organizations involved
10 proposals accepted
2.300.000€ for companies
800.000€ for AIJU
8
Technological collaborating
platforms
97
National and international
collaborating organizations
PROJECTS IN FIGURES 2014-2015

7. Facts & Figures
• Founded in 1985.
• Premises with 5.000 m2.
• AIJU staff: 69 professionals
- 11% PhD
- 39% MSc
- 14% BSc
- 25% Technical assistants
- 11% Administrative assitants
• Collaboration with Universities, Research centres, public
organisations, official bodies, associations, private companies,
SMEs.
• AIJU actively participates in national and European
technological platforms.
• 52.338 services carried out in 2014 for industry.
• Collaborative Research & Development projects executed at a
regional, national and European level.

8. More than 446 associated companies:
• Toy manufacturers
• Mould-makers
• Plastics processors
• Other-industries:
Others
industries
30%
Plastics
processors
10%
Moulds
makers
14%
Toys
46%
- Childcare products
- Playgrounds
- Energy (PV, FC)
- Fashion
- Medical engineering
- Food

9. AIJU capabilities
• Laboratory - Product Development Engineering
– Product Development & Rapid Manufacturing
– Materials & Processes
– Product safety
• Pedagogy – Product
– User & Consumer
– Psychopedagogy & Therapy
– Market & Trends
• Training
• Management & Innovation
– Advanced Management & Organisation
– Simulation & Virtual Reality
– Energy
– Environment
– ICToys

10. Laboratory -
Product
Development
Engineering

11. AIJU is an active member of committees for child
products standardisation (toys, child care articles
and playgrounds) involved both nationally and
internationally.
AIJU holds the accreditation of ENAC, national
organization of accreditation, since 1989.
Testing according to European standards on toys
safety, child care articles and playgrounds as
well as different international regulations.
Product safety
AIJU is a notified body in the UE in accordance with Toy
Safety Directive and is accredited as a third party
laboratory in US.
Aforesaid facts allow our tests to ensure the international
acceptance of our associates’ products.

12. Product Development & Rapid Manufacturing
• Rapid manufacturing
• Rapid tooling
• Functional prototypes
• Pre-series
• Customized products
• Digitalisation - Verification
• 3D Design
• Vacuum Casting
• Injection Materials engineering
• SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)
• Objet Polyjet (3DP)

13. • Analyses of Plastic Materials and finished products
• New plastic functionalities
• Dimensional verification
• New formulations
• New materials: Compounding & Extrusion
• Material identification & Characterization
• New technologies for product development
• Injection Mould Simulation
• Thermography & Mould Quality Control
• Development of Chemical Analysis Methods
Materials & Processes

14. Pedagogy
-
Product

15. User & Consumer
The department works together with industry so as to achieve the optimal
adaptation and best suitability of toy/product, prototype or idea for particular
users and markets.
1) Child product appeal
• Test on children:
- Child preferences
-Rankings and motivations
• Test on parents/purchasers
- Purchase motivation
- Price estimation
- Brand image
- Perceived added values
2) Usability and ergonomics
• Studies of ergonomic adaptation to target user
• Instructions and use
• Packaging

16. Psychopedagogy & Therapy
• A database of over 5.000 families, 20.000
children/year and a Toy library (400 m2).
•Close collaboration with 500 teachers and experts
in education, universities and research centres as well
as 200 elderly care and leisure centres.
•Research domain:
– Guide of Toys and Games
– Play in school and educational contexts
– Play in hospital
– Disabilities and child products
– Child obesity and play
– Child products and early health care
– Child development and new textile products
– Intergenerational play
–Elderly people: therapy through games, play as a promoter of healthy ageing
– Play in playgrounds (design, accessibility, quality and disability)

17. Market & Trends
0%
27,4%
65%
25%
73%
0%
100%
96%
14,4%
75%
2,1%
15%
13%
30%
28%
34%
22%
6,8%
65%
4,7%
22%
39%
56%
28%
64%
59%
8,8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Trabajadores Fábrica
% Inversión en Publicidad
Jugueterías
Hipermercados y Grandes
Alamacenes
% Ventas Navidad
Ventas Internacionales
Compras Internacionales
Producc. Asia
Tasa 06
Total
Micro
f0211
Companies provided with knowledge: sectoral data, market studies,
strategic innovation, benchmarking and detection of new
market/business opportunities.

18. Training

19. • Strengthening and training
human resources
• Tailored training attending to
industry needs.
• Occupational training for
students and/or unemployed
• Resources centre for
Multimedia training
• Continuing training
• e-Learning
 More than 1.195 trainees per year
 141 training activities in 2012
Training
• Distance Training

20. Training
SIEMENS PLM SOFTWARE.
CAD/CAM/CAE official former

21. Training
TIME4LEARNING.
Advanced Learning online about
Information&Communication
Technology and Marketing online,
with Serious Games.

22. DEPARTAMENTO DE
GESTIÓN E
INNOVACIÓN
Management
&
Innovation

23. Advanced Management & Organisation
• Management systems (Quality, Innovation,
Food safety BRC/lop, etc.)
• Information and Communication
technologies (project management
software)
• Improvements in productivity and logistics
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS
• Search and advice on R+D+i projects,
Management and Development
• Competitive Intelligence (CI) service
• Knowledge transfer
• IPR & Patents

24. Development Design Product
• Design concept and graphic design, 3D design, manufacture advice,
focused on design prototyping.

25. Product Engineering-Simulation (1/2)
•CAD/CAE
• Structural linear and nonlinear simulation
CAE with NX NASTRAN
• Types of simulation: termal load, fluid load
or cinematic.
• Time-to-market reduction

26. Product Engineering-Simulation (2/2)
•Tests performed on virtual prototypes
(ergonomic, stability, shape, etc.). Virtual
prototyping

27. Quick Response Codes Customizables
• QR Codes are coded graphics, that
can be read by current smartphones
and tablets with the appropriate
software. They form a bridge between
the real and the virtual world.

28. Virtual Reality (VR) – Animation – Augmented Reality (AR)
• 3D designs visualization.
• AR applications.
•Marketing in real environments (virtual
product presentations, virtual catalog, …)
• VR aided training
• Digital content development.
•Technology-Enhanced Learning and
Edutainment.
• Animations 3D/2D

29. Serious Games
• Design and development of Aplications for Smartphones and
Tablets (iOS, Android, Windows 8).

30. Development for mobile devices with
Wifi & Bluetooth connections
• Developing a low cost circuit that can control any car
(radio frequency current) by Smart Mobile Devices.

31. Energy
• PEM Fuel Cells
• R&D
• Composites for bipolar plates
• CAD/CAE
• Testing
• Prototypes up to 500 W
• Ultracapacitors
• R&D
• Advanced carbon based electrodes
• Testing
• Alkaline Electrolyzers
• R&D
• Advanced Electrode Materials
• CAD/CAE
• Prototypes up to 5Nm3
/h of H2

32. Energy
• Electric Vehicles
• Hydrid Electric Vehicles Development (fuel cell,
ultracapacitors, batteries)
• Electronic Control Unit Design and Manufacture
• Energy Management
• Monolithes
• Carbon based monolithes R&D
• Ceramics based monolithes R&D
• Mechanical and chemical behaviour simulation
• Control and Automation
• SCADA based control systems
• Real Time control embedded sistems
• Telemetry

33. • Legal and technical advice
• Environmental diagnosis Evaluations
• Environmental impact assessments
• Best Environmental Practices
implementation
• Environmental management Systems
• Clean technologies implementation
• Product life cycle assessment
• Eco-design
• Energy efficiency assessments
• Environmental aspects management
(hazardous waste, waste water, air
emissions, noise,...) and treatment
optimization
Environment

34. ICToys
Technology and gaming combination to help social integration, healthy
childhood, learning, healthy and active ageing, inclusion of disabled and
elderly people, eAccessibility and others of the same kind through
added value games.
• Expertise at defining children and
ageing people requirements and
needs
• Validation and tests
• Design of play proposals
• Learning through play
• Games for elderly people
• European projects: iRomec.
Eldergames. Replay. Sociable.
Veritas.

35. European Projects 1/3
 iBUS – an integrated business model for customer driven custom product supply
chain
 SHEL – Sustainable Hydrogen Evaluation in Logistics. (FCH JU 7FP).
 Veritas – Virtual and Augmented Environments and Realistic User Interactions To
achieve Embedded Accessibility DesignS. (7FP)
 RapidTest – Development of products for rapid testing of toxic compounds in
consumer products. (EUROSTARS)
 Sociable – Motivating platform for elderly networking, mental reinforcement and
social interaction. (CIP)
 PlastiVal – RTD-based cluster initiative to target future challenges of the
Valencian plastic processing industry. (7FP)
 Replay – Gaming technology platform for social reintegration of marginalised
youth. (7FP)
 iRomec – Interactive robotic social mediators as Companions. (VI FP)
 Eldergames – Development of high therapeutic value IST-based games for
monitoring and improving the quality of life of Elderly People. (VI FP)

36. European Projects 2/3
 Custom-fit – A knowledge-based manufacturing system, established by
integrating Rapid Manufacturing, IST and Material Science to improve the Quality
of Life of European Citizens through Custom fit Products. (VI FP)
 VIM – Virtual Injection Moulding for improving production efficiency, quality and
time-to-market speed. (VI FP)
 Gametools – Advanced tools for developing highly realistic computer games. (VI
FP)
 Flexrap – Development of an innovative, modular rapid prototyping system for
rigid and flexible models. (VI FP)
 Spacemantix – Combining Spatial and Semantic Information in Product Data.
(FP5)
 ECOPVC – Substitution of o-phthalates by low-migration plasticizers in PVC
plastisols. (FP5)
 MIGRATOYS – Development of methodologies in order to measure the migration
of non-phthalate compounds from PVC plasticised articles. (FP5)

37. European Projects 3/3
 IKEMSATT - Improvement of the knowledge in the EFQM excellence model self-
assessment for textile and toy industry. (FP5)
 KBEMOULD - Validation of the KBE (Knowledge Based Engineering) tool for the
automatic and distributed design of plastic injection moulds for the plastic and
toy sector. (FP5)
 T-Shoe – Intersectorial Technology Transfer on Rapid Prototyping in the Toy and
the Shoe Industries. (FP5)
 Toys-cim – Application of new technologies in the field of CAD/CAM and rapid
prototyping within the Toys sector. (4th FP – ESPRIT)
 Toy SLS – Validation of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) for the manufacture of
prototype moulds in the toy industry. (4th FP – Innovation)
ⱶ MORE THAN 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN EUROPEAN PROJECTS !

38. 4. SUCCESFFUL CASES
METHODOLOGIES FOR RISKS
VALUATION AND AMERICAN SAFETY
REGULATIONS APPLICATION
New procedures to apply complex toy and childcare
products standards from other markets.
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE FOR
THE COMPANY:
Internationalization.
Exports to USA.
Quality
improvement.

39. 4. SUCCESSFUL CASES
PRODUCTS CUSTOMIZATION FOR
DISABLED CHILDREN
Integration of new technologies (design, digitalization
and additive manufacturing) for products
customization.
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE FOR
THE COMPANY:
Added value by
means of
personalized
products.
Differentiation and
social contribution.

40. GOLF BALLS BIODEGRADABLE
INTO WATER
To practise golf in cruise ships and pleasure boats.
Eco-sustainable plastics soluble into water.
Modifications for injection processing.
4. SUCCESSFUL CASES
COMPETITIVE ADVANGE
FOR THE COMPANY:
Differentiation in a
valued market.
Exclusiveness,
new markets.

41. FIRST BREASTFEEDING DOLL
Product innovation starting from customers
request. Studies with users, families and experts.
International impact (Europe and USA).
4. SUCCESSFUL CASES
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE FOR THE
COMPANIE:
Differentiation.
Re-positioning in
Nurturing grouping.
Internationalization.

42. HYDROGEN BATTERIES CARS
Hydrogen as energy for electric toys in the future.
Clean and safe system. Instant recharge means a great
advance in the category Ride-on.
4. SUCCESSFUL CASES
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE FOR THE
COMPANY:
Differentiation.
Image of
sustainability.
Multiplies x 5 the
autonomy and
instant recharge.

43. LOCATOR BRACELET FOR
ALZHEIMER PATIENTS
Polyjet printout. Rapid prototyping and first series
by means of vacuum casting and prototype moulds.
4. SUCCESSFUL CASES
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE FOR THE
COMPANY:
Short series
manufacture of
products with
high benefits.
Differentiation by
social value.

44. PRODUCT RESTILING OF HISTORIC
TRADEMARKS.
Innovation through design update. Adaptation to
currently children’s taste. Based in trends, children
preferences and families opinion from AIJU panel.
4. SUCCESSFUL CASES
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE FOR THE
COMPANY:
Less communication
efforts and trade
introduction.
Adult customer
loyalty and sure
success in final
users.

45. ALMONDS SHELL IN PLASTIC
MATERIALS
Introduction of new eco-sustainable substances in
plastic materials: almonds shell, additives and
colourings. Applied in children products and also in
adults furniture.
4. SUCCESSFUL CASES
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE FOR THE
COMPANY:
Differenciation.
Reduction of costs
through the use of
recycled raw
materials of high
performance.

46. GUIDE AIJU 3.0: TOYS AND GAMES
Guide in paper, web and APPs: a selection od 140 toys
and games recommended by experts and tested by
families. It provides psycopedagogical information (37
companies taking part).
4. SUCCESSFUL CASE
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
FOR THE COMPANIES:
Different information,
high pedagogical
value.
Quality improvement
promotion of
packagings,
instruction manuals
and play chances.
Innovation new
technologies.

47. 4. SUCCESSFUL CASE
MINIGAMES FOR WEBPAGES:
Developing educational content for website or on-line games. Consulting tested with
users and leisure features.

48. Instituto tecnológico del Juguete AIJU
Av. De la Industria nº 23
03340-IBI
Tlf: +34 96 555 44 75
www.aiju.info
Manuel Aragonés
Managing director
manuelaragones@aiju.info
www.aiju.info