PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the work of IDMEC, a not‐for‐profit R&D private association located in Porto and Lisbon, Portugal.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on IDMEC's R&D activities, focusing on aeronautics.FindingsTogether IDMEC‐Porto and INEGI provide answers to R&D challenges in the broad area of aerostructures, from fracture and fatigue problems to advanced composites for space applications.Originality/valueThe paper offers a concise presentation of the IDMEC's R&D activities in the field of aeronautics.