SALIENT Project Results Featured on Televisión de Galicia (TVG)

On 31 July 2025, the public television channel of Galicia, Televisión de Galicia (TVG) covered a news segment on the EU-funded project SALIENT, featuring the Automotive Technology Centre of Galicia (CTAG), the project coordinator. TVG has an average of 250,000–265,000 viewers per day and is the most-watched Galician-language broadcaster.

Raquel Ledo (CTAG) showcasing the FES developed within SALIENT at TVG Channel

Two representatives of CTAG, Raquel Ledo, Head of the Department of Innovation, Product and Materials and Vanessa Ventosinos Louzao, Senior Researcher, explained how the Front-End Structure (FES) designs developed within SALIENT can absorb more energy in the event of an impact, better preparing the vehicle for crashes and collisions, and ultimately improving safety.

Unlike older cars that resisted crashes without deforming, the new approach is to allow the bumper to collapse in a controlled manner to better protect occupants. The new Front-End Structure is capable of heating up to nearly 200 degrees Celsius, allowing it to adapt to the impact and reduce by 10% the energy transmitted to the vehicle and its occupants.

Within SALIENT, 12 partners from 7 countries across Europe collaborated over 36 months to make roads safer, reduce serious injuries, and also integrate circularity principles. As a result, two new FES designs have been developed that not only enhance safety and crash performance but also reduce emissions across the vehicle life cycle. Some of the significant technical and environmental milestones achieved include: up to 55% weight reduction, 94% recyclability of materials and 79% reduction in crash box weight. Also, the new FES designs led to a 21.5% cost saving in manufacturing and a 10% improvement in simulation speed.

The developments were validated through real-world crash testing and are expected to be incorporated into future vehicles.