The European Digital Innovation Hubs Network selected five outstanding projects from across Europe as finalists for the EDIH Community Award 2026. Among them is the Digital Innovation Hub for Catalonia (DIH4CAT), with the project Empowering energy consumers through IoT and blockchain.

The initiative, developed in collaboration with Zertifier, a Spanish SME, and the DIH4CAT partner Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), supports energy consumers by providing greater transparency and control over their energy data through IoT and blockchain technologies. This solution enables more decentralised and user-centric energy management models.

Finally, the winner project was AI-based robot Robic helps in social services, developed by EDIH NEB (Czechia) and EDIH Madrid Region (Spain). This proposal was chosen by members of the EDIH Network through a live vote during the EDIH Summit 2026 in Brussels on 9 June 2026. The award recognises the innovation, measurable impact, and potential of the selected initiatives to inspire other EDIHs.

Meet the winner and the finalists

• Empowering energy consumers through IoT and blockchain (Spain | DIH4CAT)
• Innovative digital solutions for sustainable farming (Italy | CHEDIH)
• AI-based robot Robic helps in social services (Czechia and Spain | EDIH NEB and EDIH Madrid Region)
• Hyperspectral imaging to detect foreign bodies in meat products (Spain | IRIS)
• Towards simplified regulatory compliance for innovators (Finland | HHFIN)