Sonae x INL Innovation Hackathon: Turning R&D challenges into breakthrough ideas

Earlier this year, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) proudly announced the launch of its Open Innovation Programme: Challenge Us! Running from April 2026 to June 2027, the programme invites companies to bring their R&D challenges and unmet technological needs directly to INL’s multidisciplinary teams. Its first hackathon took place on 1 July, welcoming the multinational group Sonae as a challenge owner.

True to the programme’s format, once Sonae’s challenges were selected, INL held a preparatory session to map out an overview of each challenge and assemble teams of engineers and researchers with the right expertise. That groundwork paid off on hackathon day, when Sonae representatives joined INL experts to explore innovative approaches, assess feasibility, identify risks, and outline development roadmaps for three distinct business challenges.

By the end of the day, participants spoke highly of an environment that encouraged brainstorming, cross-learning, and teamwork, generating new ideas and use cases with real potential for future development.

Building on this successful hackathon, Challenge Us! will continue to offer companies a structured pathway for collaboration with INL researchers through June 2027, with applications accepted on a rolling basis.

Programme supported by the TECHLINK project (n.º 17798), funded by COMPETE 2030 – Thematic Programme for Innovation and Digital Transition, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Text by: Clara Miranda

Photography by: Rui Andrade