BATTIA Recycling Technologies —for its technology to recover critical raw materials from electric vehicle batteries safely, efficiently, and sustainably— and Inspectrail —for the digitalization of railway infrastructure and intelligent inspection— were the recipients. Each received 12,000 euros, as well as access to support programs, funding, consultancy, mentoring, and training.
BATTIA Recycling Technologies also received the Eibar Company Award – Made in Eibar recognition, with a prize of 12,000 € and a technological voucher of 10,000 euros for the development of products, prototypes, and patents.
Furthermore, Trust Eibarres, celebrating its centenary this year, was honored with the «Iñaki Goenaga» Recognition for its successful trajectory and for embodying the values of a Made in Eibar company: commitment, quality, innovation, and resilience.
Mayor Jon Iraola highlighted the importance of holding a new edition of these awards in a city with a long industrial and entrepreneurial tradition, stating that the awarded projects demonstrate the talent, knowledge, and initiative to face significant economic and technological challenges.
Throughout its 36-year history, the Toribio Echevarria Awards have analyzed over 850 business ideas and projects, helping to mobilize more than 45 million euros in investment.
Vanesa Hortas, Councilor for Economic Development, emphasized the importance of sustaining this support for talent and new business initiatives, noting that the awards serve to give visibility to innovative projects and facilitate their development.
The award ceremony was attended by, among others, Jon Iraola, Mayor of Eibar; Unai Andueza, Deputy of Economic Promotion and Strategic Projects of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa; and Ane Miren de Ariño, Director of Entrepreneurship and Internationalization of the Basque Government.
This year's edition received 44 candidacies, and a jury with extensive experience in entrepreneurship and business development selected 13 finalist projects, with particular emphasis on their business vision and capacity to drive innovation.
