12 companies from Navarre present their challenges to startups as part of the Ministry of Industry’s Open Innovation program

Twelve companies from Navarra today issued challenges to startups as part of the Open Innovation program run by the public entity European Business and Innovation Center of Navarra (CEIN), which operates under the Department of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition.

Specifically, Abaigar, Azkoyen, Cocuus, Enhol, Espiga I+D, Exkal, Frenos Iruña, Hidro Rubber, Josenea Bio, MTorres, Smurfit Westrock, and Virto presented 24 challenges today during a session held at CEIN, inviting startups and young innovative companies to develop solutions, which they can submit through theprogram’s website by May 25. 

This year marks the second edition of Open Innovation, which aims to foster open innovation processes in which startups solve challenges proposed by companies in Navarre. The ultimate goal is to help startups grow by integrating their innovations into the companies within our ecosystem, which in turn helps the business community in our region to grow and innovate.

CEIN’s managing director, Uxue Itoiz, emphasized that this initiative serves as “a catalyst for transforming complex challenges into real opportunities for progress, and for bringing together talent, knowledge, and leadership to generate solutions that drive our economic development.”

A matchmaking event is scheduled for June 10, during which participating companies will outline their challenges and registered startups will have the opportunity to meet with them to present their solutions and explore areas of common interest.

In addition, the program will award a prize for the most transformative company–startup collaboration at Open Innovation 2026, worth 6,000 euros, funded by Caja Rural de Navarra, which will also support the development of up to 10 proposed solutions. 

The Open Innovation initiative is part of the TECH FABLAB project, in which CEIN is participating alongside the regions of Cantabria, Valencia, Catalonia, Aragon, and La Rioja, under the Territorial Networks for Technological Specialization (RETECH) program of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan—funded by the European Union’s Next Generation EU.

The Challenges of Open Innovation 2026

The challenges posed by companies are as follows.

Abaigar: “Intelligent use of construction data to anticipate deviations and improve decision-making”

Azkoyen: “Improving the user and service experience on touchscreen coffee machines by moving toward a more modular, intuitive, and scalable architecture”; “Zero Hardware Testing: Automating firmware and software testing and validation through simulation and emulation, reducing reliance on hardware and accelerating development cycles”; “Home Barista Copilot: Development of a smart assistant in a mobile app that generates personalized recommendations to improve the user experience and coffee quality in home machines.”

Cocuus: “To produce a fat that melts and resembles animal fat”; “To enhance the texture and fibrousness of the chicken product using MDM as a base”; “To separate the meat from the fat so that both can be used as raw materials.”

Enhol: “Improved drying efficiency”; “Improved nutritional parameters and product palatability.”

Espiga R&D: “Automated system for online particle size analysis of ground products”; “Anomaly detection and predictive maintenance model based on process data”.

Exkal: “Energy management for multi-unit buildings.”

Frenos Iruña: “Automation of incident analysis and intelligent warranty management”; “Intelligent automation of document management in purchasing and accounting”.

Hidro Rubber: “Smart software for the formulation and development of new materials.”

Josenea Bio: “Smart measurement and monitoring of plantations for precise crop management”; “Development of proprietary fertilizers and organic materials for internal use and commercialization”; “Sustainable preservation and packaging for fresh-cut produce.”

MTorres: “TORRES ACADEMY: Smart platform for creating and managing internal training”; “Smart assistant for managing and leveraging internal knowledge”.

Smurfit Westrock: “Streamlining commercial back-office processes”; “Additive for producing recyclable paper with wet strength.”

Virto: “Automation of agricultural tasks to optimize fieldwork”; “Technologies to improve crop productivity and efficiency.”