How CeNTI Uses Thermetrics Thermal Manikins for Thermal Comfort and Product Testing
Founded in 2006, CeNTI (Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials) is a Portuguese non-profit research and technology organization specializing in nanotechnology, advanced materials, and smart systems. The organization partners with industry to develop and validate new technologies for applications ranging from smart textiles and wearables to automotive, healthcare, construction, and energy.
What sets CeNTI apart is its ability to evaluate how products—including garments, footwear, smart wearables, automotive seating, flooring, and furniture—interact with the people who use them. By combining Thermetrics thermal manikin technologies—including the thermal foot and Newton manikin—with sweating simulation, dynamic movement scenarios, and walk-in climatic chambers, the organization generates objective data that helps manufacturers better understand thermal comfort, moisture management, product performance, and overall user experience.
A Partnership Built on Technical Collaboration
CeNTI’s relationship with Thermetrics began with the need for thermal testing technologies capable of supporting complex R&D activities related to thermal comfort and human-material interaction. Over time, that relationship has evolved into a collaborative technical partnership built on shared expertise, reliability, and a commitment to advancing human-centered product evaluation.
According to CeNTI, both the reliability of the equipment and the expertise of the Thermetrics and Thermetrics Europe teams have contributed significantly to their success. Ana Sampaio, team leader, explains, “Working with Thermetrics and Thermetrics Europe has been an extremely positive experience. Beyond the high quality and reliability of the equipment, what truly stands out is the technical competence and responsiveness of the team. Their support has played an important role in helping CeNTI expand and strengthen its thermal comfort and human-centric testing capabilities.”
The future of thermal performance testing
As consumer expectations for comfort, safety, and performance continue to increase, CeNTI sees objective thermal testing as an essential tool for helping manufacturers validate product performance and make informed design decisions. Through its continued partnership with Thermetrics, the organization remains focused on helping manufacturers transform innovative concepts into better-performing, market-ready products.
To learn more about CeNTI’s thermal comfort, performance testing, and applied research capabilities, visit CeNTI or connect directly with the CeNTI team.
Newton thermal manikin being used to test a sleeping bag at the Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials in Portugal.
About the Partner Spotlight. Partner Spotlight is a fun opportunity for us to highlight the capabilities and accomplishments of one of our client-partners each quarter. As an industry-leading manufacturer of thermal manikin systems and other thermal testing equipment, we learn and grow best through partnerships with test labs across the U.S. and worldwide, in addition to collaborations with government and research organizations in need of thermal testing equipment for their innovative research projects. If you can imagine it, Thermetrics can design and build a system to test it!