SENER
Spanish private engineering and technology group serving aerospace, infrastructure, energy, marine and industrial markets.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
SENER is a Spanish private engineering and technology group founded in 1956. Its activities combine engineering and construction services with industrial participation in businesses associated with energy, the environment and aeronautics. The group operates through engineering, technology-development and industrial entities rather than as a conventional consumer-facing brand. The engineering and construction business, identified in reference material as SENER Ingeniería y Sistemas, works across aerospace, civil engineering, architecture, power and process engineering, and marine engineering. Its international activity has included offices or projects in Spain, Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and India. Historical reference material reports that the engineering business had approximately 2,200 employees and turnover of more than €653 million in 2011; those figures are retained only as historical context and are not treated as current financial data. SENER’s aerospace work began in 1967 and covers space systems, aeronautics, vehicles and defense. In space, its capabilities include precision mechanisms, antennas, optical payloads, and guidance, navigation and control systems. The company has contributed equipment or engineering to missions and programs including Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, Herschel, Planck and PROBA-3. In 2019, SENER and CATEC completed delivery of telemetry, telecommunications and antenna equipment for PROBA-3, for which SENER Aerospace acted as prime contractor. The reference material also identifies SENER’s involvement in aeronautical production tooling, automotive engineering, missile subsystems and defense programs such as Taurus, IRIS-T and Meteor. In power and process engineering, SENER develops or participates in electricity-generation and industrial-process facilities. Its scope includes combined-cycle and cogeneration plants, solar-thermal facilities, nuclear projects, liquefied-natural-gas terminals, biofuels, refinery and chemical units, petrochemical and plastics plants, and fuel transportation, storage and distribution systems. Its energy and environmental investment activities have included renewable-energy and waste-energy projects. Gemasolar, a 19.9 MW thermosolar plant promoted through Torresol Energy, is identified as a major group milestone, entering commercial operation in 2011. Civil and architecture activities include high-speed rail, metro and light-rail systems, roads, intelligent transport systems, airports, ports, hydraulic engineering, environmental work, architecture and urban planning. Examples in the reference material include the Figueras–Perpignan international high-speed line, sections of Spanish high-speed rail, Bilbao Metro lines, Barcelona Metro Line 9, Porto light rail, Lublin Airport and projects associated with Mexico City Airport planning. The marine business preserves SENER’s original maritime orientation and is particularly associated with FORAN, a computer-aided design and manufacturing system for shipbuilding. SENER also undertakes ship design, modernization and engineering projects. The group has additionally promoted or held interests in industrial companies. One historical example is Industria de Turbopropulsores, or ITP, an aeronautical-engine and gas-turbine business initiated by SENER in 1984. In 2002, SENER established the SENER Foundation to support scientific and technological training, including postgraduate scholarships and employment internships for engineering graduates. Overall, SENER is positioned as a technology-intensive engineering group whose differentiation rests on multidisciplinary project delivery, proprietary systems and participation in technically complex infrastructure and industrial programs.
History
SENER was established in Spain in 1956 as an engineering group. Its early and continuing identity was closely connected with marine engineering, a specialization that later developed into the FORAN computer-aided design and manufacturing system for ships. FORAN grew beyond basic drafting into an integrated shipbuilding environment covering three-dimensional product definition, production planning, concurrent engineering, design review, interfaces with manufacturing equipment and links to management systems. This software and the associated marine consultancy helped establish SENER as both an engineering contractor and a developer of specialized technical tools. The group expanded into aerospace engineering in 1967. Its aerospace scope came to include space mechanisms, antennas, optical payloads and guidance, navigation and control systems, as well as aeronautical manufacturing systems, vehicle engineering and defense work. Space projects cited in reference material include antenna systems for Solar Orbiter and BepiColombo, optical equipment for the World Space Observatory, and attitude and orbit control systems for the Herschel and Planck scientific satellites. SENER also became prime contractor for the PROBA-3 dual-spacecraft mission. In 2019, it completed delivery of telemetry, telecommunications and antenna equipment for that program with CATEC. During its development as a group, SENER broadened its engineering and construction activities into civil infrastructure, architecture, power and process engineering. Its civil portfolio has included high-speed rail lines, metro systems, light rail, roads, intelligent transport systems, airports, ports, hydraulic works, environmental projects and urban developments. Examples include work connected with the Figueras–Perpignan international high-speed line, Spanish high-speed rail corridors, Bilbao Metro, Barcelona Metro Line 9, Porto light rail, Lublin Airport and Mexico City Airport planning. The group’s engineering model has generally involved complete project development or specialized engineering packages rather than the sale of standardized consumer products. SENER also became involved in industrial and energy businesses. In aeronautics, it helped initiate Industria de Turbopropulsores in 1984, a business associated with aircraft engines and gas turbines. Through its energy and environment activities, the group promoted or participated in renewable-energy and waste-energy ventures, including Torresol Energy. Projects described in the reference material cover combined-cycle, cogeneration and solar-thermal plants, nuclear facilities, liquefied-natural-gas terminals, biofuels, refining, chemicals, petrochemicals, plastics and fuel logistics. Gemasolar, a 19.9 MW thermosolar facility, entered commercial operation in 2011 and became a prominent example of the group’s technology and investment interests in renewable power. The company has maintained a defense engineering presence involving missile subsystems, actuation and control, and semi-active laser-guided systems. Its cited programs include Taurus, IRIS-T and Meteor, as well as work on a future Spanish air-defense system referred to in the source as Sagitario. In marine engineering, SENER has undertaken ship design, modernization and production projects, including work associated with the Argentine Navy icebreaker Almirante Irizar and a Viking Line ferry at Seville Shipyard. In 2002, SENER created the SENER Foundation. Its stated purpose is to support people and groups demonstrating scientific or technological competence and to contribute to social progress. The foundation’s support for postgraduate study and subsequent internships at SENER provides a formal link between education, professional development and the company’s engineering workforce. By the period covered by the available reference material, SENER had become an internationally operating private group combining project engineering, proprietary technology, industrial holdings and technical training initiatives. Current scale, ownership details, leadership and financial performance are not established by the supplied sources.
- 2019
PROBA-3 antenna and telemetry deliveries are completed
[1]SENER and CATEC complete delivery of telemetry, telecommunications and antenna equipment for the PROBA-3 mission.
- 2011
Gemasolar enters commercial operation
[1]The 19.9 MW Gemasolar thermosolar plant associated with Torresol Energy begins commercial operation.
- 2002
SENER Foundation is established
[1]The group establishes a foundation supporting scientific and technological training, including postgraduate scholarships and internships.
- 1984
Industrial participation in ITP
[1]SENER initiates Industria de Turbopropulsores, an aeronautical-engine and gas-turbine industrial venture.
- 1967
Entry into aerospace engineering
[1]SENER begins supplying aerospace equipment, systems integration and engineering services for space, aeronautics, vehicles and defense.
- 1956
SENER is founded
[1]SENER is established in Spain as a private engineering and technology group.
Products and positioning
A privately held, technology-led engineering group focused on complex aerospace, infrastructure, energy, industrial and maritime projects, with proprietary systems and long-term participation in industrial ventures.
Marine engineering software
FORAN
FORAN is SENER’s integrated CAD/CAM environment for ship design, production and manufacturing. It supports three-dimensional ship-product definition, two-dimensional drafting, design review, concurrent engineering, build strategy, production-process definition and connections to manufacturing equipment and management systems. The system uses a shared product model and database approach so that design and production information can be developed in parallel. It is a central expression of SENER’s historical marine-engineering specialization.
Aerospace systems
Space mechanisms and antenna systems
SENER develops precision mechanisms and antenna systems for spacecraft. Reference projects include the complete antenna system for Solar Orbiter and medium- and high-gain antennas for BepiColombo. The offering covers engineering, equipment development and systems integration for flight-segment hardware used in scientific and exploration missions.
Aerospace systems
Guidance, navigation and control systems
SENER supplies guidance, navigation and control capabilities for spacecraft and related aerospace programs. Cited work includes altitude and orbit control systems for the Herschel and Planck scientific satellites and prime-contractor responsibilities for the PROBA-3 dual-spacecraft mission. These systems complement the group’s mechanisms, antenna and optical-payload activities.
Energy engineering
Solar-thermal power engineering
SENER develops and participates in solar-thermal power projects through its energy and environmental activities. Gemasolar, Valle 1 and Valle 2 are cited examples of solar-thermal plants associated with the group. The wider offering includes plant engineering, technology development and participation in industrial ventures using renewable-energy systems.
Aeronautical engineering
Aerospace production tooling
SENER provides detailed vehicle designs, tooling and turnkey production systems for aerospace manufacturing. Its cited work includes wing-stringer production and horizontal-tail-plane assembly systems for the A350 XWB, together with hot-forming systems and pultrusion machines for wing-spar production. The offering links engineering design with factory equipment and production processes.
Marine engineering
Marine and shipbuilding engineering
Alongside FORAN, SENER provides ship design, production engineering, modernization and repair-related services. Reference projects include the modernization of the Argentine Navy icebreaker Almirante Irizar and work involving a Viking Line ferry at Seville Shipyard. The marine business represents the continuation of the group’s original maritime vocation.
Brand decisions
2011
Bring Gemasolar into commercial operationProduct launchBackground
SENER’s energy and environment activities included promotion of renewable-energy projects and participation in Torresol Energy.
Action taken
The Gemasolar thermosolar plant entered commercial operation with a rated capacity of 19.9 MW.
Aftermath
Gemasolar became a prominent reference project for SENER’s renewable-energy technology and industrial participation.
Rated electrical capacity. 19.9 MW (At commercial operation in 2011)
2002
Create the SENER FoundationStrategyBackground
SENER identified scientific and technological education as a way to support society and develop future engineering talent.
Action taken
The group established the SENER Foundation to support scientifically and technologically capable people and groups, including postgraduate engineering scholarships followed by internships.
Aftermath
The foundation created a structured education and professional-integration channel connected to SENER’s technology activities.
1984
Expand into aeronautical-engine manufacturing through ITPStrategyBackground
SENER’s group model included industrial participation alongside engineering services. In 1984, it initiated Industria de Turbopropulsores, an aeronautical-engine and gas-turbine venture.
Action taken
SENER promoted and participated in the creation of ITP, extending its aerospace presence from engineering into industrial manufacturing.
Aftermath
The venture became an example of SENER’s strategy of combining engineering capabilities with industrial holdings.
Recent events
Siemens announces agreement to acquire FORAN software business[2]
Reported:
Siemens Digital Industries Software announced that it had signed an agreement with SENER to acquire SENER’s FORAN software business; the transaction was expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Sources2 sources
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