Danobatgroup’s continues its bid towards greater sustainability in advanced manufacturing

• The industrial group publishes its third sustainability report for the period 2023, with a historic turnover of €337 million, consolidating its leadership in advanced manufacturing.

• The report includes all action taken following ESG criteria, relative to people, innovation, social commitment, good corporate governance and respect for the environment amongst others.

The industrial group Danobatgroup consolidated its international leadership in advanced manufacturing and machine tools in 2023, guided by ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria and with a firm commitment to the environment, society and the people of the enterprise, a hallmark that has been present in its business model since its inception. 

This is presented in its third sustainability report, now published and available on the website. The report showcases the outstanding results obtained last year: a historic turnover of €337 million, with over 90% derived from international markets, and an investment in R&D&I exceeding 9% (more than €28 million). 

This investment also prioritizes its immediate environment, aiming to create wealth and employment within its territory as core objectives of its strategic plan. 

In this regard, the modernisation, adaptation and extension of the facilities of the cooperatives' main headquarters is the current focus of action. In 2023 the new Soraluce assembly plant was inaugurated, which is also LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Danobat, with a new plant inaugurated in 2024, and Goimek, will also benefit from this investment plan with a total value of more than €50 million.

Of note in our overseas trade, a new centre of excellence was opened in Shanghai in 2023. China, the United States, Germany, Italy, and Mexico are the primary markets in which the group is currently positioned. 

All this has been possible thanks to the cooperative and sustainable nature and essence that has always marked Danobatgroup's roadmap, seeking a balance between economic growth, environmental protection and social welfare. 

Reducing environmental impact

The report includes all action taken following ESG criteria, highlighting in particular the measures implemented with regard to reducing the environmental impact of its industrial activity.

Among other measures, more solar panels were installed on the roofs of our plants, now reaching a total of 4,160 solar panels which yield 20% of the energy consumption. Also, more than €1 million was invested in an external solar farm scheduled for commissioning in 2025.  These undertakings are an example of the transition towards one-third of the energy consumption being self-generated through renewable sources.

At the same time, the group is also making significant progress towards creating a decarbonisation plan for the future, supported by the measurement of the three scopes of the carbon footprint in 2023 by most of the cooperative companies. 

In relation to the environmental impact of the products of the Danobatgroup companies, it should be noted that in 2023, 4 new models of Soraluce machines obtained the Ecodesign certification, bringing the total number of models currently with this certificate to 27.

In addition, in 2023, the first measure of the Mobility Plan of the group came into fruition: the creation of an application to promote and increase the use of car sharing among employees. 

People and management model

On a social level, the Danobatgroup met the objectives of generating quality employment established in the last strategic plan spanning the 2021-2024 period and the group continues to add high-skilled professional profiles year after year, with a workforce that now totals 1,462 people worldwide.

Likewise, the group continues to work under a cooperative, ethical, supportive and participatory management model within the framework of the Mondragon Corporation. In this area in 2023, Danobatgroup incorporated new measures in the Legal Compliance Procedure and created and approved three new ESG policies: sustainability policy, social action policy and diversity and equality policy.

Danobatgroup thus redoubles its firm commitment to equal opportunities for everyone in all its activities. Currently, all companies have their own equality plans to improve human resources management with a gender approach, promoting non-sexist communication and raising staff awareness on equality and other issues. 

The group also continued to promote inter-cooperation projects, the hallmark of Mondragon's cooperatives with other companies and groups, more specifically with Fagor Arrasate in the Laser Blanking technology, and with Ategi in the investments in the solar farm, to mention but a few.

Social commitment to the local community

Danobatgroup's commitment to sustainability goes beyond its organisation and extends to society as a whole. In three years, more than 200 organisations have been beneficiaries of an amount in excess of €1.5 million for social initiatives. 

At the same time, the group continues to run the participatory programme Elkarrekin Eragin, whereby the employees suggest and choose cooperation projects with a positive impact on the local community. In 2023, the second edition of this programme was completed, allocating €523,000 to three organisations, and the selection process for funding new projects for the next 2024-2026 cycle is currently underway.

Along the same lines, the group is committed to using local suppliers, with 80% of its suppliers currently from Spain and 70% from the Basque Country and Navarre.

Finally, with a special focus on encouraging scientific-technological vocations among the new generations, mainly among women, in 2023 the group supported the Mondragon City Challenge, ZTIM Hub, Zientzia Azoka, Bizilabe, Gladys Awards, Ada Byron Awards, IMH awards or the Mondragon TFG/TFM awards, and steps were taken to participate again with the First Lego League in 2024.

About Danobatgroup

With 70 years of experience in technologies applied to industrial manufacturing, Danobatgroup boasts a workforce of more than 1,400 highly skilled professionals and a turnover of 337 million euros. The group is an international benchmark in the sector of machine tools and technologies applied to industrial manufacturing.