AiQUOS, an IMB-CNM spin-off, awarded at Innpulso Emprende 2026

AiQUOS, a spin-off of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zurich born from research developed at the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM, CSIC) and the Institute of Neuroinformatics (INI-UZH), has received the award for Innovation and Talent at the ninth edition of Innpulso Emprende from Teresa Riesgo, Secretary General for Innovation from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The event, organized by the Red Innpulso, was held in Terrassa on 29 and 30 September and brought together innovative companies and municipalities from across Spain.

AiQUOS took part in the event representing Cerdanyola del Vallès, after being selected by the City Council as the municipality's innovative company for this year's edition. Innpulso Emprende brings together mayors and innovative SMEs, micro-enterprises and start-ups from cities belonging to Red Innpulso, providing a platform to showcase local innovation and connect companies with other municipalities, businesses and investors.

The company, co-founded by IMB-CNM researchers Josep Maria Margarit Taule, Cecilia Jimenez Jorquera, and Francesc Serra Graells, develops smart microelectronic technology for the continuous monitoring and analysis of water. Its system combines arrays of electrochemical sensors with embedded neuromorphic intelligence on a single chip, enabling multiple parameters to be analysed locally and in real time. The technology stems from more than 15 years of research at IMB-CNM-CSIC and INI-UZH, and the AiQUOS system designed at IMB-CNM is manufactured using the institute's Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room.

Created to bring this research to the market, AiQUOS is working to apply the technology to water monitoring in areas including aquaculture, industrial and agri-food processes, municipal water supplies and environmental monitoring. The recognition at Innpulso Emprende highlights the potential of research-based entrepreneurship to translate microelectronics research into technological solutions addressing real-world challenges.

Commitment to innovation

The award marks a new milestone in IMB-CNM's commitment to turning scientific and technological advances into solutions with an impact on society. It also recognises the institute's contribution to its local innovation ecosystem and its close ties with Cerdanyola del Vallès, the city that has hosted IMB-CNM throughout its four decades of activity.

Technology transfer is a core part of the institute’s mission, particularly through the creation of spin-off companies, the development of patents and collaboration with industry. According to a recent Biocat report, IMB-CNM ranks second in Catalonia for investment raised by its spin-offs in the health and biomedical fields over the past decade. In the last five years alone, the institute has launched five technology-based companies and currently has eleven active spin-offs, including AiQUOS.

By combining scientific excellence, advanced technological capabilities and a strong focus on knowledge transfer, IMB-CNM aims to continue bringing research from the laboratory into applications that respond to industrial and societal challenges.