I’MNOVATION was born with a clear ambition: to connect the capabilities of the global entrepreneurial ecosystem with the real challenges of a group operating in more than 60 countries. Today, after 8 editions and more than 65 pilots launched in real operational environments, that ambition has a name, a process, and results.

A platform built on a truly global footprint

The international nature of I’MNOVATION is, above all, a direct consequence of the Group’s scale. ACCIONA operates in infrastructure, water, concessions, and energy across more than 60 countries. That means a solution validated on a project site in Spain can be deployed in a metro project in Brazil, a water treatment plant in Chile, or a tunnel in Australia. The pilot is not the destination—it’s the starting point.

The numbers back it up. Over 8 editions, I’MNOVATION has launched more than 65 pilots in real operational settings, attracting proposals from more than 20 countries. More than 2,800 users are already registered in our ecosystem. This is not a local program with international aspirations: it is a global program anchored in real projects.

That is the key difference between collaborating with I’MNOVATION and working with a corporate innovation program without a genuine international portfolio. Here, geographic scaling is not a promise—it is a structural possibility. Each pilot runs on the Group’s assets (construction sites, plants, concessions, water networks) across dozens of countries. A technical validation achieved in that context carries significant value for any tender process or commercial conversation anywhere in the world.

Proof points

São Paulo. Geprode, a startup specializing in real-time geological prediction for TBM tunneling, validated its platform on Line 6 of the São Paulo metro together with ACCIONA. The goal was to anticipate geological risks, reduce unplanned stoppages, and optimize monitoring costs. A real project, a real city, a real challenge.

South Africa. QPV was selected through an I’MNOVATION challenge and deployed a predictive performance monitoring system at a photovoltaic plant in South Africa. What began as a pilot on an ACCIONA asset became a demonstration of scalability: the technology traveled as part of ACCIONA’s services portfolio.

Australia and New Zealand. The I’MNOVATION x WHT program, linked to a mega tunnel project in the region, was designed specifically as an international call with up to AUD 75,000 in pilot funding, following the I’MNOVATION methodology adapted to the project’s reality.

Toronto and Madrid. ACCIONA signed an agreement with CURA to validate low-carbon cement, with an initial phase focused on supply and testing and the potential to transition into a pilot. An example of how collaboration can start with an MoU and scale toward adoption across the Group’s real projects in multiple geographies.

What sectors and technologies is I’MNOVATION 2026 looking for?

The 2026 call features open challenges across the business units of Water (wastewater treatment plants, circularity, water management for agriculture), Construction (tunneling prediction, quality inspection), Concessions (operation of linear infrastructure), ACCIONA Services (robotics to improve ergonomics), as well as support functions such as Procurement and HR, where we are seeking advanced artificial intelligence solutions. The platform is especially attractive for solutions with strong geographic replicability: if a technology works on a construction site, in a treatment plant, or on a concession asset, the possibilities for deployment across the Group’s global portfolio are real.

What makes I’MNOVATION different

One thing sets I’MNOVATION apart from other corporate innovation programs: pilots take place both in real operational environments and in proprietary labs. Large-scale infrastructure and active machinery are studied and enabled for testing.

This has practical implications for any collaborating company: the data generated is real data, the references obtained are verifiable, and the credentials built can be applied in any subsequent tender or commercial process. For a startup looking for a first anchor client with global scale, that’s hard to find elsewhere.

If you have a solution for infrastructure, water, concessions, or sustainable energy challenges (and you want to validate it in a real environment with global scaling potential) I’MNOVATION is where to start.