Innovalia Association

What Innovalia Association does

Innovalia Association (Asociación Innovalia) is a private non-profit R&D association founded in 2002 in Bilbao, Spain, operating as a technological agent within the Basque Country Technology Network (Innobasque). The organization was created by six technology-based SMEs (CARSA, CBT, SQS, Trimek, Datapixel, Unimetrik) to articulate a critical mass of capabilities around ICT, innovation management, and meso/micro/nano-technologies for industrial applications. It coordinates major European Commission initiatives including I4MS (ICT for Manufacturing SMEs, €110M in EC funding since 2013), the European Network of Digital Innovation Hubs, DIH-World, and BOOST 4.0 (€20M budget leveraging €100M in private investment across 42 partners including IBM, Siemens, Volvo, and Gestamp).

The association's operational backbone consists of three units: a Metrology unit at the Automotive Intelligence Center in Amorebieta (coordinate measuring machines, 3D scanning, quality control), an ICT unit at the Zamudio Technology Park (IoT-CPS, cybersecurity, digital trust), and a Big Data/Data Spaces unit anchored by the BAIDATA association and IDSA Spanish Hub. Its technical platform stack combines FIWARE Generic Enablers, edge intelligence and federated learning (CASANDRA project), frugal and explainable AI for autonomous manufacturing decision support, digital twin methodologies for large-component lifecycle tracking, and the TOSHI host-security solution using eBPF/XDP plus AI/ML anomaly detection. The portfolio also includes three proprietary international conferences (Metromeet, QA&TEST, Technarte) used as dissemination and community-building vehicles.

Commercially, Innovalia is not a product company in the traditional sense; it is a grant-funded research association that monetizes through project-based R&D contracts, EU program coordination fees, and direct consulting/technical services to SMEs and large enterprises. Pricing is negotiated per-project and not publicly disclosed. The organization operates without VC/PE capital, funding itself through European Commission grants, regional subsidies (e.g., Cabildo de Tenerife for Ciberplus), member contributions from its founder SMEs, and service contracts. Customers are concentrated in the Spanish and Iberian manufacturing base, with stated international presence across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Central/South America via offices in Bilbao, Zamudio, Amorebieta, San Sebastián, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Name

Innovalia Association

Legal name

Asociación Innovalia

Website

https://innovalia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Innovalia Association is a Basque non-profit R&D association coordinating European Industry 4.0 initiatives for SMEs, delivering metrology, IoT-CPS, cybersecurity, and industrial data space capabilities through EU-funded research projects and technology transfer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial R&D Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Engineering, Integration & ETL/ELT Services (BPAEAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Enablement & Adoption Services (Change Management, Adoption, Champions) (BPAEANAC), Technical & Scientific Expert Networks (BPAHALAH)

Keywords

• Industrial R&D services
• Industrial metrology
• EU project coordination
• Digital manufacturing solutions
• Industrial cybersecurity

Headquarters

HQ city

Bilbao

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Innovalia Association is a private non-profit R&D association based in Bilbao, Spain, that provides technological research, industrial metrology, digital transformation, and cybersecurity services to technology-based SMEs. Founded in 2002, it coordinates European research initiatives, delivers metrology and quality control services through its specialized Metrology Unit, develops industrial cybersecurity solutions, and organizes international technical conferences on metrology, quality assurance, and emerging technologies.

Product overview

Innovalia Association is a private technological centre that provides R&D services, coordinates European initiatives, and organizes international conferences. The core offering consists of the Metrology Unit (providing industrial dimensional metrology and quality control services), ICT/IoT-CPS solutions (cybersecurity, trust, verification and validation), and coordination of Digital Innovation Hubs. Supporting services include three international conferences (Metromeet, QA&TEST, Technarte), the BAIDATA data economy association, and the CIBERPLUS cybersecurity training program. Research projects span Big Data for Industry 4.0 (BOOST 4.0), industrial data spaces (FITMAN, CASANDRA), cybersecurity (TOSHI), 3D printing (FABulous), cloud security (InCloudING, SEED4C, ODSI), mobile networking (SIGMONA), access control (ACIO), and collaborative manufacturing (ComVantage). The portfolio operates as a platform-plus-services model where research projects feed into capability development for SME support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Metromeet: International Conference on Industrial Dimensional Metrology organized by Innovalia Association.
• QA&TEST
• Technarte

Products and services

• Industrial Metrology Services (Metrology Unit)
• Metromeet Conference
• QA&TEST Conference
• Technarte Conference
• EU Research Project Coordination
• Industrial Cybersecurity Solutions (TOSHI)
• Digital Innovation Hub Services (BAIDATA, CIBERPLUS)

Quantifiable outcome

• Funding secured for SMEs through EU programs
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and regional.

• BAIDATA AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2022Innovalia launched the BAIDATA association to drive Spain and Portugal's leadership in the data economy. Innovalia's director Oscar Lázaro was named secretary. BAIDATA works with European data organizations (GAIA-X, IDSA, Catena-X) and industrial partners including Gestamp, CAF, Petronor, and Mondragón.
• International Data Spaces Association (IDSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Innovalia became the official partner of IDSA to manage their Hub in Spain, working to promote IDS initiatives and data sovereignty across the Iberian Peninsula
• GAIA-X European Association for Data and CloudsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEuropean data infrastructure initiative collaborating with BAIDATA on industrial data space development
• Catena-X Automotive NetworksupportingTechnology or IntegrationEuropean automotive data network initiative working with BAIDATA on data sovereignty in the automotive sector
• European Commission - I4MS InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovalia coordinates the I4MS (ICT for Manufacturing SMEs) initiative, which has €110M in European Commission funding since 2013 to support digital transformation of manufacturing SMEs
• BASQUE TECHNOLOGY NETWORK (Innobasque)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a technological agent of the Basque Country Technology Network, Innovalia contributes to the regional innovation ecosystem
• Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovalia coordinates the European network of Digital Innovation Hubs, providing access to competencies, innovation networks, and financial support for SMEs
• European Commission - DIH-World ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched July 2020 to accelerate development and consolidation of Digital Innovation Hubs across Europe
• Boost 4.0 Consortium (42 partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovalia leads the largest European Big Data initiative for Industry 4.0 with €20M budget leveraging €100M private investment. Partners include IBM, Siemens, VTT, TTTech, Volvo, Gestamp, Volkswagen, and 35 other organizations
• CASANDRA Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project (MIG-20242031) for digital manufacturing in large component production. Consortium includes DGH, IDESA, OpenNebula, NODOSA, ARSOFT, TRIMEK, GOGOA, NVISION, and research centers AIMEN, IRI-CSIC, CDEI-UPC, CITIC-UDC
• FITMAN ConsortiumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuture Internet Technologies for Manufacturing - Innovalia part of core consortium, coordinating case studies and Digital Factory platform
• Cabildo de TeneriferegionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCiberplus project subsidized by Tenerife's provincial government for cybersecurity awareness, training, and diagnosis for SMEs on the island

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's leading applied research organization with 76 institutes covering manufacturing, ICT, metrology, and AI. Far larger and broader than Innovalia but represents the same non-profit applied-research model that channels industry-facing R&D and EU project leadership.
• TNO: Dutch applied research organization with industry-focused units in ICT, mobility, and industrial innovation. Comparable as a publicly funded applied-research body that competes for EU consortium leadership and serves industrial SMEs.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish government-owned applied research center; a Boost 4.0 consortium partner alongside Innovalia. Comparable multi-domain applied R&D with strong industrial digitalization and manufacturing AI focus.

Direct peers

• Digital Catapult: UK Digital Innovation Hub focused on accelerating advanced digital technology adoption (AI, IoT, data) by industry. Highly comparable to Innovalia's DIH coordinator mandate and SME digital-enablement mission.
• Ikerlan: Basque technology center specializing in electronics, mechatronics, and embedded systems; part of the Mondragón Corporation ecosystem. Comparable as a private non-profit R&D association serving Basque industrial SMEs and participating in EU consortia.
• Tecnalia: Spanish/Basque applied research and technology center with a similar multi-domain R&D portfolio (manufacturing, energy, ICT) and comparable role coordinating EU projects and supporting SMEs. Closest direct analog given shared Basque Technology Network roots.
• Cartif: Spanish private technology center in Valladolid with similar multidisciplinary industry-focused R&D (Industry 4.0, energy, bioeconomy) and EU project coordination role serving Spanish manufacturers.

Others

• FIWARE Foundation: Open-source platform and foundation driving Future Internet technologies for smart factories. Highly comparable as the underlying technology ecosystem on which Innovalia's Digital Factory Platform (FITMAN, DIGIWARE) is built.
• EFFRA (European Factories of the Future Research Association): European public-private partnership coordinating manufacturing R&D priorities and engaging with EU Commission on framework programs. Comparable as a consortium-level orchestrator in the same European manufacturing R&D ecosystem where Innovalia operates.
• IDSA (International Data Spaces Association): European data sovereignty standards body that Innovalia partners with as Spanish Hub operator. Comparable as the parent organization of the BAIDATA initiative and a key platform for industrial data space development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/innovalia_group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/749202

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Innovalia Association