Total sales for the Corporation’s co-operatives exceeded €1.2bn for the first time, with exports totalling more than €240m. It is worth mentioning that Ikerlan was taking part in a number of international projects involving cutting-edge technologies: the Comet, Sprint and Esprit community programmes.
The Ideko Research and Development Centre was set up, with the most advanced computer equipment and at a total cost of €1.6m.
Fagor’s General Assembly approved the integration of Fabrelec (today Edesa) in the Group; whilst Danobat and Soraluce together won the biggest export order to date in the machine tool sector. It was for an 80 metre long flexible manufacturing line worth a total of €9.38m for the Czech firm Agrocet. The co-operative OnaPres was also to supply East Germany with two hydraulic presses worth €960,000. Orkli started to produce electricallyoperated valves for the small domestic appliance sector and manufacturers of semi-industrial distribution machines.
