Iren Startup Award: Artificial Intelligence and Automation at the Center of the Sixth Edition

The international Call will be open until October 2, 2026

Reggio Emilia, September 15, 2026 – Identifying technologies based on Artificial Intelligence and automation to improve the efficiency and safety of plants, infrastructures, and essential services. This is the goal of Iren Startup Award 2026: AI4Automation & Physical Processes, the sixth edition of the open innovation project created by the Iren Group, in collaboration with the Circular Economy Lab (an initiative of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center) and Factory Plus, partner of the project.

Now in its sixth edition, the Iren Startup Award has involved a total of 630 startups across the five previous editions, confirming its status as an effective Corporate Venture Capital tool through which the Group nurtures its innovation ecosystem. The Call allows for the identification of startups and emerging technologies aligned with the company's industrial priorities, fostering their testing and adoption across the Group's various business lines.

The 2026 Call, open until October 2, is aimed at innovative Italian and international startups and SMEs offering solutions applicable to physical and industrial processes. The selected companies, which must be scalable and compatible with corporate processes, will have the opportunity to present their solutions to Iren's Business Units, Corporate functions, and Top Management. As in past editions, this collaboration can lead to pilot projects or other forms of partnership tailored to concrete operational needs and the Group's industrial priorities.

"With Iren Startup Award 2026, we are strengthening our ability to attract innovative skills and technologies capable of contributing to the evolution of the company's businesses," comments Luca Dal Fabbro, Chairman of Iren. "Artificial Intelligence and automation represent increasingly important levers for increasing operational efficiency, improving safety, and supporting the management of the Group's assets and infrastructures."

The Call will be promoted nationally and internationally through the Circular Economy Lab network. The most interesting candidacies will be involved in a matching process with the Iren Group, aimed at evaluating possible operational applications and joint development opportunities. The selection process will conclude by the first half of December 2026.

Per maggiori informazioni: https://www.circulareconomylab.it/content/circularEconomy/it/projects/en/IrenStartupAward2026AI4AutomationPhysicalProcesses.html