The regulated studies of engineering around Cadiz bay began around the beginning of the 20^th century, but it has been on the last twenty-five years when industrial applied science and engineering research have settled as primordial target. Nevertheless, it hasn`t newly until been that it appears a coordinated approach between the different research groups, that was produced by the separation between the exiting headquarters. With the transfer of the High School of Engineering (ETSI) to the new facilities on Puerto Real campus, this interaction between headquarters evolve, also now it has the opportunity of promote the relationship between the groups of research related with the engineering part on UCA.

In that environment it is not until the approbation on the Government Council at July 21 of 2008 when a research group thought about create a new institution dedicate to the different lines of research linked to engineering in the UCA. These lines have three main targets: to promote the investigation and the transfer of the obtain knowledge to the industrial bay environment, to encourage the international mobility of the research groups, and generate training activities of post-degree related with the engineering research. Added to this thought, and considering that the European Social and Economic committee on the Official Diary of EU (2016/C 389/07) define 4.0 industry like something booming and necessary, it is proposed the creation of an Engineering and Advance Technological Research Institute (ERICA) for Digital Industry.

It is decided to create a research institute in the same line of work that the R+D+I activity of the industrial sector of Cadiz, where the entrepreneurial tissue around it`s related to aeronautic and naval industry.  Because all of that the research groups are in the same direction of the development of 4.0 industry, for what it has created two U combined research units (UIC) with Airbus and Navantia. This UIC respond to specific needs of the industry, which ones require multidisciplinary research and its subsequent transfer of the industrial facilities.

Cadiz Shipyards. Image provide by UAV-AERIALS.COM