The Toribio Echevarria family reward the commitment to environmental sustainability

Yesterday (July 22, 2019), the Ik4-Tekniker center in Eibar hosted the ceremony for the delivery of the XXIX Toribio Echevarria Awards, which on this occasion have awarded their main awards to two projects oriented towards environmental sustainability.

The finalists in the “Ideas / Projects” category are Miramoon Pharma, Multiverse Computing, Onena Medicines and Surphase. In the “New Company” category, the five finalists selected by the jury are Aces Technology (Alkar Tools), Ekolber, Mera Medical Solutions , Naru Intelligence and VIVEbiotech.

CATEGORY  “IDEAS/BUSINESS PROJECTS”

• Miramoon Pharma:  New molecules aimed at treating diseases based on muscular dystrophy.
• Multiverse Computing:  Quantum computing solutions and advanced artificial intelligence applied to finance and economics.
• Onena Medicines:  Biotechnology company focused on the development of first-class medicines to treat patients with breast cancer and rare diseases.
• Surphase: Early  detection system for water purification membrane fouling that exceeds the sensitivity of currently existing technologies by three orders of magnitude.

 “NEW COMPANY” CATEGORY

• Aces Technology (Alkar Tools):  Industry 4.0 solutions for applications in the high-pressure hydraulic industry.
• Ekolber:  Rubber-thermoplastic obtained from livestock waste rich in collagen through a patented proprietary technology
• Mera Medical Solutions:  New medical devices for the control of male urinary incontinence.
• Naru Intelligence:  Artificial intelligence systems to improve results in oncology and other chronic diseases
• VIVEbiotech:  Production of lentiviral vectors for gene therapy clinical trials to treat diseases of genetic origin, cancer, rare diseases or Parkinson`s

Specifically, the award for the best business idea or project in this edition went to a novel proposal aimed at improving the efficiency of water purification systems presented by Surphase, while the award in the New Company category went to the Ekolber team, which attended the event with a project to manufacture, using its own innovative technology (already patented), a new thermoplastic-rubber from livestock waste rich in collagen.

In addition, the members of Ekolber also took home the Extraordinary Prize (endowed with 10,500 euros and access to the Advanced Program for Entrepreneurs and Start-ups run by BIC Gipuzkoa) awarded by the Eibar City Council to one of the projects (winner or finalist in any of the categories) that has its origin or location in Eibar, or that acquires the commitment to be located in this town for a minimum period of two years.

In any case, these were not the only recognitions that were granted within the framework of the prestigious prizes promoted each year by the Consistory of Eibar and BIC Gipuzkoa in collaboration with the Basque Government and the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (with the collaboration of entities such as the Chamber of Gipuzkoa, Elkargi, APD, SPRI or the business associations Adegi, Cebek and SEA) with the multiple objective of promoting the development of innovative technology-based ideas and companies, favoring the creation of quality employment, promoting technological innovation in companies and value the figure of the entrepreneur.

Thus, the Internationalization Support award went to Naru Intelligence, which works on the application of artificial intelligence systems to improve results in Oncology and other chronic diseases, while the company BOJ (created in Eibar in 1905 and dedicated to marketing at a global level, winery products, kitchenware, mini-domestic appliances and electrical appliances) won the Iñaki Goenaga recognition for the Eibarresa Company 2019. Finally, Alimek, a company created 25 years ago in the environment of BIC Gipuzkoa that offers comprehensive advisory services in the area of quality and food safety, obtained the Iñaki Goenaga 2019 recognition.

The award ceremony for the XXIX Toribio Echevarria Awards was attended by numerous institutional representatives such as the general deputy of Gipuzkoa, Markel Olano; the deputy for Economic Promotion, Tourism and Rural Affairs, Imanol Lasa; the director of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Society of Information of the Basque Government, Aitor Urzelai or the mayor of Eibar, Miguel de los Toyos.

All of them took advantage of their speeches to highlight the value of entrepreneurial activity in transforming the business fabric of Gipuzkoa, in improving its competitiveness and in developing new activities linked to strategic sectors for the territory`s future.