Formations | Relations entreprises
A factory tour at the heart of the Basque aerospace ecosystem
Based in Tarnos, at the heart of a region renowned for its industrial and aeronautical expertise, the Mécadaq Group is a leading player in the machining of complex, high-precision parts.
In this context, this visit is fully in line with ESTIA’s educational philosophy, which places immersion in the workplace at the heart of engineering training.
The aim: to enable students to test their academic knowledge against the realities of the industrial world.
CNC machining and aerospace: understanding processes in real-world conditions
Upon arrival, the students were able to explore the site’s three buildings, getting a close-up view of operations:
- CNC machines in operation
- Flow and supply chain management
- Quality control processes
This immersive experience allowed them to follow the complete journey of the parts, from their manufacture to their validation, in an environment where precision and rigour are essential.
👉 A key experience for understanding the demands of the aerospace sector, where every detail counts.
Human interaction at the heart of knowledge transfer
Beyond the workshop tour, the morning continued in the meeting room with presentations from seven company employees.
In turn, they presented:
- the history and development of Mécadaq
- their roles and career paths
- the current challenges facing the aerospace industry
These discussions gave the students a practical insight into potential career paths.
An understanding that can only truly be gained through hands-on experience.
An industrial company where performance goes hand in hand with a human touch
Whilst technical expertise and industrial rigour were certainly present, another aspect particularly struck the students: the human dimension of the company.
At Mécadaq:
- performance is built on committed teams
- well-being at work is embedded in the corporate culture
- support for employees is at the heart of development
This approach illustrates a major shift in the industrial sector, where human considerations are inseparable from performance.
A formative experience for students’ career paths
By gaining practical experience in:
- the professions within precision machining
- the demands of the aerospace sector
- real industrial environments
students were better able to envisage their future careers.
👉 An immersive experience that boosts motivation, refines career choices and gives meaning to engineering training.
ESTIA: an engineering school connected to the industrial world
This visit fully illustrates ESTIA’s educational model:
- a general engineering programme
- close links with industry
- practical experiences throughout the course
By increasing the number of these immersive experiences, the school enables its students to develop technical skills, as well as a detailed understanding of contemporary industrial challenges.
Acknowledgements
ESTIA would like to extend its warmest thanks to the teams at Mécadaq Group for their warm welcome, their availability and their commitment to the students.
Organising such a visit to a working site represents a significant investment, which we fully appreciate.