AECOC is one of the largest business associations in Spain, with more than 32,000 associated companies, aiming to improve the competitiveness of the entire value chain.
The aim of the PIA Challenge 2023 is to find startups that can offer innovative solutions to the proposed challenges involving several of the participating companies in order to develop a joint pilot or POC after the challenge.
What are we looking for?



Get to know the challenges
Exploration Area 1
Transforming the consumer shopping experience towards the retail and horeca of the future.
Exploration Area 2
Innovation and digitalization of the value chain
(from cradle to cradle).
What do we offer?

STARTUP DAY
Final session where the selected startups will present their specific solutions to the proposed challenges to the corporates participating in the PIA Challenge, AECOC and partners.

POSSIBLE PILOT DESIGN
Opportunity to roll out a pilot test, POC or a collaborative consortium with several corporates participating in the challenge and have the support of the AECOC's technical project office.

PREMIUM INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Access to premium training content on edge-cutting technologies within the FMCG and Food Service sectors for the finalists startups taught by experts from AECOC and managers of the participating corporations.

CORPORATE MATCHMAKING
Group sessions among the finalist startups and high-level profiles from the innovation area of the participating corporates, that will share relevant industry insights and help the startups define collaborative pilots that might be developed.

Introduction to the Steering Committee Corporate Network
The finalist startups will be able to create network possibilities with the many different corporations participating in the PIA Challenge.

Opportunity of participating in AECOC activities
Opportunity to participate in the different activities promoted by AECOC whenever suitable and related to the startup area of knowledge, including discussion sessions on forefront technological developments and trends with field-experts from the FMCG and Food Service sectors

Visibility
Visibility of the finalist startups through the great communication channels of AECOC, including the possibility of appearing in AECOC's periodical magazine which has a scope of more than 30,000 companies in the sector.