Zunibal wins the International Innovation Award given by Quality Innovation Award 2023

• This year’s call for entries included a total of 562 innovations selected from 14 participating countries.
• Zunibal, with more than 25 years of experience in the sector, has been awarded the Award Winner in the category of Potential Innovation of the Quality Innovation Award 2023.
• The award ceremony will take place on April 11, 2024 in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, China, a coastal city in the south of the country, very close to Hong Kong.
• The QIA International Award winners in each category passed a strict evaluation methodology based on their novelty value, usability, learnability, customer orientation and effectiveness.

Derio, Vizkaya, January 24, 2024. – In a significant milestone for the sustainable fishing industry and technological innovation, Zunibal, with more than 25 years of experience in the sector, has been awarded the Award Winner in the Potential Innovation category of the Quality Innovation Award 2023. This recognition consolidates Zunibal’s positioning as a global benchmark in the development of advanced technological solutions for sustainable tuna fishing and its ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

This award was focused on Zunibal’s integration of disruptive tools based on artificial intelligence, making fishing not only more profitable but also more sustainable.

Three specific solutions have been developed: a mapping and cartography system that, through the analysis of oceanographic data and fishing records, allows the identification of the best fishing areas; the application of target species discrimination technologies through the use of Machine Learning to define whether the biomass detected under the buoy is tuna or not, thus avoiding the fishing of unwanted species; and a buoy trajectory prediction system that optimizes fishing routes, reducing fuel consumption and carbon footprint.

In the words of Ibone Rodriguez de Pablo, CEO and shareholder of Zunibal: “From Zunibal we thank Euskalit for this award, Quality Innovation Award, which not only recognizes our work to date, but also helps us to reinforce our commitment to achieve a more sustainable and healthier planet“.

The Quality Innovation Award, created in 2007 by Excellence Finland, is awarded annually at international level. In order to promote innovation and increase the competitiveness of companies in the Basque Country, EUSKALIT has participated in it since 2014 and is a member of the QIA Advisory Board since 2021.

This award consolidates Zunibal’s position as a world reference in technology applied to integral solutions for sustainable tuna fishing, and strengthens its mission: to contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous future for the global fishing industry.

About Zunibal:

Founded in 1995 in Derio (Biscay), Zunibal (www.zunibal.com) has established itself as a benchmark in the field of innovation and development of advanced technological solutions dedicated to sustainable fishing and marine monitoring, fields in which research and development (R&D) play a crucial role. Specializing in the manufacture of satellite buoys for fishing fleets, Zunibal is committed to a technical and precise approach, ensuring solutions of the highest quality and efficiency. Its product offering not only meets the highest performance standards, but also aligns with the principles of sustainability and environmental responsibility, actively contributing to the conservation of marine resources.

Zunibal is a company owned by Nazca Capital since 2021 with the objective of continuing Zunibal’s ambitious growth project, taking advantage of the development of new solutions with great reception in the market and an important project portfolio. Nazca is a private equity fund management company, specialized in the Spanish low-middle market. Nazca leads its market segment, both in terms of the volume of transactions carried out and the returns obtained on its investments.