ULMA Group Secures €45 Million EIB Financing for Eco-Friendly Materials and Energy-Efficient Facilities

ULMA Group Secures €45 Million EIB Financing for Eco-Friendly Materials and Energy-Efficient Facilities

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank has granted ULMA Group a €45 million loan to fund its construction-sector innovations and sustainability endeavors. The financing will cover advanced manufacturing technologies for polymer concrete solutions, the establishment of a new plant for sustainable building materials, and enhancements to ULMA’s facilities to decrease consumption, increase recycling, and improve energy efficiency. These investments in the Basque Country support the EIB’s 2024–2027 strategic priorities—innovation, climate action, environmental sustainability—and contribute to its affordable and sustainable housing initiative. EIB’s Antonio Lorenzo and ULMA’s Iñaki Gabilondo both highlighted the loan’s role in promoting competitiveness, decarbonisation, and broader access to sustainable housing.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 4-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to extend a €45 million loan to ULMA Group to advance the cooperative’s innovation and sustainability objectives. Headquartered in Spain’s Basque Country with a global footprint, ULMA Group specialises in manufacturing equipment, innovative materials, and solutions for the construction industry.

Under this financing, ULMA Group will invest in cutting-edge production technologies for its construction division, including polymer concrete architectural systems. Funds will also underwrite the development of a new facility dedicated to producing next-generation, eco-friendly building materials. In parallel, the loan will support upgrades to existing plants that reduce resource consumption, enhance recycling processes, and boost overall energy efficiency—key components of ULMA’s decarbonisation roadmap. All projects will take place within the Basque Country’s autonomous community.

Antonio Lorenzo, Head of Corporate Lending for Spain and Portugal at the EIB, remarked: “Through this operation, the EIB is reinforcing Europe’s construction sector by promoting sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness. Embracing novel materials and technologies is essential to expanding access to affordable, sustainable housing for every European.”

This agreement aligns with the EIB Group’s 2024–2027 Strategic Roadmap, backing three central priorities: innovation, climate action and environmental sustainability, and social infrastructure. By enabling ULMA’s sustainable housing initiatives, the bank also furthers its affordable and sustainable housing programme.

Iñaki Gabilondo, General Manager of ULMA Group, added: “Securing this financing empowers us to embark on groundbreaking sustainability projects within construction, benefiting both communities and the environment. It reaffirms our commitment to a more resource-efficient, responsible industrial model, and the EIB’s endorsement underscores the strength and purpose of our cooperative enterprise.”

Background information

European Investment Bank

The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by the Member States. Operating around eight core priorities, it finances investments that pursue EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Agreement, as pledged in its Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects that contribute directly to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a healthier environment.

In Spain, the EIB Group signed new financing worth €12.3 billion for over 100 high-impact projects in 2024, contributing to the country’s green and digital transition, economic growth, competitiveness and better services for its people.

High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.

ULMA Group

ULMA Group is made up of nine industrial cooperatives that employ 5 747 people and operate across 81 countries. With a total sales volume of €1.15 billion in 2024, ULMA Group is an illustration of success in the Basque cooperative movement.

Since it was founded, it has been able to continuously grow and diversify its business lines and activities, as a social business project that works for the betterment of its surroundings.

The nine companies that make up ULMA are exemplary operators in diverse industrial sectors, providing solutions for construction, packaging machinery, smart warehousing, forging, prefabricated systems for drainage and architecture, rollers for conveyor belts, maintenance services, greenhouse manufacturing and embedded electronics. The latest innovation out of ULMA Group applies artificial intelligence in the healthcare field for early detection of certain diseases.

Media Contact:

Maite Cordero
m.corderomunoz@eib.org
+34 606 66 82 62

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank