The prestigious magazine selects four companies (Ienai Space, LuxQuanta, Integra Therapeutics and Kreios Space) that are currently developing strategic research projects within the Industrial Doctorate Plan of the Generalitat de Catalunya. A recognition that validates the public-private collaboration model as a key driver for the Deep Tech ecosystem and high-impact knowledge transfer.
From left to right: Sara Correyero, Vanesa Díaz, Avencia Sánchez-Mejías and Adrián Senar, the leaders of the companies in the Industrial Doctorates Plan recognized by Forbes.
The ability to anticipate the future is the hallmark of disruptive innovation. In its recent publication “ Forbes List | 26 ideas that will change 2026 “, Forbes magazine has identified the trends that will mark the technological and social agenda of the coming years. Within this select roster of experts and visionaries, four companies stand out that share a common denominator: their firm commitment to applied, strategic and collaborative research through the Industrial Doctorate Plan (DI Plan) of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
The presence of Ienai Space, LuxQuanta, Integra Therapeutics and Kreios Space in this ranking is no coincidence; it confirms that the commitment to incorporating research talent (doctoral students) directly into the business fabric is the most effective way to transform complex science into tangible market solutions.
Space sovereignty and new propulsion systems
In the aerospace field, Dr. Sara Correyero, co-founder and COO of Ienai Space, tells Forbes that geopolitical instability is accelerating the push towards European strategic autonomy. According to Correyero, “public and private investment is being directed towards rebuilding industrial and technological sovereignty to avoid dependencies.”
This strategic vision is materialized through its industrial doctoral projects. Ienai Space, which already successfully completed a project in 2021, currently maintains an ongoing project (you can consult a report on the project) focused on the micro and nanofabrication of space microthrusters using emerging technologies. In collaboration with the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the company is working on electrospray-based engines for nanosatellites, a key technology for the new era of space exploration.
In the same line of orbital innovation, Adrián Senar, CEO of Kreios Space, presents to Forbes the generation of energy from space as a critical solution, highlighting that “ capturing solar energy in orbit allows for a continuous and stable supply, without depending on the weather or the day-night cycle .” Kreios Space supports this vision with an active industrial doctoral project with the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), focused on the design of electric propulsion systems based on atmospheric air ionization (ABEP) for very low Earth orbits (VLEO).
Ethics in the quantum age
In the quantum technologies sector, Vanesa Díaz, CEO of LuxQuanta ( interviewed by the Industrial Doctorate Plan), reflects on the importance of the human criterion in the face of the advance of artificial intelligence. For Díaz, “ human value, understood as the ethical criterion, authenticity, creativity with emotion and shared values, will increasingly become the decisive factor .”
LuxQuanta, a spin-off of the ICFO (Institute of Photonic Sciences), is a paradigmatic example of how the DI Plan accelerates innovation. The company currently has two ongoing projects ( 1 – 2 ) and a third in process, collaborating with ICFO and the UPC to develop Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems. These projects are vital to guarantee the cybersecurity of future communications in the face of the threat of quantum computers. As Díaz herself states: “ The industrial doctorate is key to attracting talent and accelerating innovation in quantum technologies .”
Revolution in gene therapies
Finally, in the field of biomedicine, Dr. Avencia Sánchez-Mejías, co-founder and CEO of Integra Therapeutics, anticipates a change in regulatory paradigm. As she explains to Forbes, “ 'platform approvals' will accelerate the arrival of advanced therapies to patients, reducing their cost .”
Integra Therapeutics, a spin-off from Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), uses the framework of industrial doctorates to refine its technological platform. With one project completed and another ongoing , the company is working on the engineering of new programmable transposase proteins, applying in silico directed evolution tools and machine learning models to develop safer and more effective gene editing tools.
The fact that these four companies, leaders in their respective Deep Tech sectors, appear on Forbes' list of ideas that will change in 2026 underlines the relevance of Industrial Doctorates. The DI Plan not only trains highly qualified human capital, but also acts as a catalyst for academic research to respond to the most pressing industrial and social challenges.
With projects ranging from satellite propulsion to gene editing and quantum cryptography, collaborative research is proving to be the perfect gear for connecting university excellence with business ambition, thus defining the future of innovation in Catalonia.
