INVAP
| Company type | Private (state-owned by Province of Río Negro) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Engineering, aerospace, nuclear energy, chemical industries, healthcare, petroleum |
| Founded | September 1, 1976 |
| Founder | Spin-off from Argentine Atomic Energy Commission research division |
| Headquarters | San Carlos de Bariloche , Argentina |
Area served | Worldwide (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, Africa) |
| Products | Nuclear reactors, satellites, radar systems, medical radioisotopes, wind turbines, simulators |
| Owner | Province of Río Negro |
Number of employees | 1700 (2023) |
| Website | www |
INVAP S.E. is an Argentine firm dedicated to the engineering, integration, fabrication, and delivery of equipment, plants, and devices serving sectors such as nuclear energy, aerospace, chemical industries, healthcare, petroleum, and government agencies. Its operations extend worldwide, covering regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
The enterprise is privately held by the Province of Río Negro and has its main office in San Carlos de Bariloche. By 2023, INVAP employed around 1,700 experts and technical staff. In 2018, it was honored with the Diamond Konex Award as Argentina’s leading business.
Background
Established on September 1, 1976, INVAP originated as a spin-off from the research division of the Argentine Atomic Energy Commission. Its name stems from the Spanish phrase investigación aplicada, meaning "applied research."
Satellites
As the first Latin American company to obtain certification from NASA for supplying space technology, INVAP designs and manufactures satellites, payloads, and ground control stations. This includes the SAC ("Satelites de Aplicación Científica") series developed for Argentina’s space agency CONAE. The company led Latin America in satellite design, development, mission operation control, and ongoing support.
Significant projects include SAC-D (launched June 9, 2011), which carried scientific instruments such as NASA’s $100 million Aquarius project aimed at measuring ocean salinity. The ARSAT program introduced Argentina’s first domestically produced communications satellites: ARSAT-1 launched in 2014 and ARSAT-2 in September 2015.
Nuclear projects
INVAP focuses on developing and constructing nuclear research reactors, facilities for radioisotope production, nuclear fuel fabrication plants, uranium enrichment centers, neutron beam transport mechanisms, radiation protection devices, reactor safety systems, and upgrading research reactors. Additionally, it offers consultancy services and research collaborations for nuclear power plant suppliers involving reactor fuels, laser isotope separation techniques, and core reconfiguration analyses.
The company has built nuclear reactors in various countries:
| Country | Location | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagcountry | Algiers | NUR | Delivered to Haut Commisariat pour la Recherche of Algeria. |
| Template:Flagcountry | Bariloche | RA-6 | Constructed for CNEA. |
| Pilcaniyeu | RA-8 | Built for CNEA. | |
| Lima, Zárate | CAREM | Developed for CNEA. | |
| Template:Flagcountry | Sydney | OPAL | Supplied to Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). |
| Template:Flagcountry | Cairo | ETRR-2 | Delivered to the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority. |
| Template:Flagcountry | Lima | RP-0 | Nuclear instrumentation for the Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear. |
| Huarangal | RP-10 | Nuclear instrumentation for the Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear. | |
| Template:Flagcountry | Petten | PALLAS | For Pallas foundation. |
In 2009, INVAP partnered with Spanish firm Isolux as a pre-selected candidate for the PALLAS project—an 80 MW nuclear reactor initiative in Petten, Netherlands. Financing arrangements were extended into late 2010 by Dutch radiopharmaceutical company Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG).
In collaboration with CITEDEF, INVAP developed in 2010 a laser-based technique to extract radioactive elements from heavy water used in nuclear reactors.
On January 24, 2018, INVAP secured an international contract to construct a nuclear research reactor along with a radioisotope production facility intended for medical applications in the Netherlands.
Other projects
- Civilian
- TDA – Development and deployment of Argentina’s national public digital terrestrial television initiative.
- Satellites and space research instruments developed for CONAE.
- Systems designed for the early identification of forest fires.
- A total of eleven 2D radar units known as INKAN (), commissioned by the Administración Nacional de Aviación Civil (ANAC), Argentina's civilian air traffic authority, with an additional eleven units on order, involving investments close to 226 million pesos aimed at achieving full coverage of the country's airspace.
- Wind energy ventures, featuring the first wind turbine engineered domestically.
- Freeze-drying facilities intended for the preservation of fruits and vegetables.
- Storage infrastructure for irradiated nuclear fuel originating from nuclear power plants and research reactors.
- Facilities for processing radioisotopes, with radiotherapy equipment exports to countries such as India, Brazil, and Venezuela valued at approximately US$100 million.
- Petrochemical production plants.
- CAREM nuclear reactors utilized for electricity generation and propulsion systems in Argentina’s forthcoming Nuclear Powered Submarine (SNA).
- Military
- Hangar door manufacturing for the Argentine Navy destroyer .
- FLIR systems supplied for Argentine Navy P-3 Orion aircraft.
- Sonar technology developed for Navy destroyers, frigates, and upcoming nuclear submarines.
- A prototype 3D radar system along with six additional units ordered by the Argentine Air Force to strengthen airspace monitoring capabilities.
- Simulators designed for maritime patrol training within naval forces.
- Naval electronic systems and combat management solutions installed on Argentine Navy Meko 360 destroyers, MEKO 140 frigates, and TR-1700 submarines.
- Synthetic aperture radar systems intended to replace Bendix RDR-1500B units on maritime patrol Beechcraft Super King Air planes operated by the Argentine Naval Aviation.
See also
- CONAE – Argentina’s national space agency
- ARSAT – State-owned telecommunications enterprise
- CEATSA – Environmental testing company co-owned with ARSAT
External links
- Official website Spanish – English
- La enciclopedia de ciencias y tecnologías en Argentina (Spanish) INVAP - ECyT-ar