Nubeiro Labs, Que pasa na Costa, Enzicas Bio, Frouma Atlantic Wood, and Queizuar were the winners of this year’s edition, in which four runner-up awards were also presented.
Valentín González Formoso highlighted that this year’s winning projects “showcase the diversity and capabilities of companies in the province of A Coruña and demonstrate that innovation is also built in rural Galicia, which has enormous potential.”
From rural biotechnology based on chestnuts to the recovery of mussel raft timber for contemporary craftsmanship and digital entrepreneurship, the 2026 PEL Awards recognize the entrepreneurial talent of the province of A Coruña.
Provincial Council presents the 2026 PEL Awards recognizing business and entrepreneurial talent across the province
The Provincial Council of A Coruña today presented the 2026 Local Employment Plan (Plan de Emprego Local, PEL) Awards at the Coruña Immersive Studio (CEI), located in the City of ICT. Through these annual awards, the provincial institution recognizes the talent, innovation, job creation capacity, and commitment to local development demonstrated by companies, self-employed professionals, and entrepreneurial initiatives across the province.
The ceremony was attended by the President of the Provincial Council of A Coruña, Valentín González Formoso; the Deputy for Employment, Rosa Ana García; numerous mayors from across the province; and representatives of the local business, economic, and social sectors.
In his speech, Formoso congratulated all applicants and emphasized that “every project is an example of effort, talent, innovation, and confidence in the future of our province.” He stressed that the awards help “showcase the enormous talent that exists in our region, recognize the efforts of entrepreneurs, and inspire others to pursue their own ideas.”
Formoso recalled that the Provincial Council has spent the past decade developing the Local Employment Plan (PEL) as its main instrument for supporting entrepreneurship, self-employment, and small businesses throughout the province. “Over these ten years, with an investment of more than €140 million, we have helped create over 9,000 jobs, established a major Coworking Network with 12 collaborative workspaces, and supported the creation of 15,500 businesses,” he said.
The president emphasized that “behind every figure are people: entrepreneurs who decided to invest in their projects, small businesses that have grown and created jobs and new opportunities, and innovative initiatives that help make A Coruña a more dynamic, competitive province, better prepared to face future challenges.”
“The projects recognized this year demonstrate the extraordinary diversity and transformative capacity of businesses across our province: from rural biotechnology based on Galician chestnuts to digital entrepreneurship driven from the Eume region; from reclaiming timber from mussel farming rafts to create contemporary craftsmanship, to local journalism in the Galician language produced by and for Costa da Morte. These companies are very different, but they all share one essential characteristic: they prove that innovation can also emerge locally and that rural Galicia has tremendous potential,” said Valentín González Formoso.
Holding the awards ceremony at the CEI also highlighted the Provincial Council’s commitment to innovation, digitalization, and emerging productive sectors. Formoso described the Coruña Immersive Studio as “an example of public-private collaboration and technological innovation that is creating new opportunities in a sector with enormous growth potential and international projection.”
145 applications and €80,000 in prize money
The eighth edition of the PEL Awards set a new participation record, with a total of 145 applications submitted. The awards distribute €80,000 in prize money and recognize business projects for their business ideas, local impact, innovation, social responsibility, capacity for economic and social transformation, and contribution to job creation.
Award-winning companies and initiatives
In the Best Entrepreneurial Initiative category, the award went to Nubeiro Labs, a Galician company headquartered in Cabanas with operations in Pontedeume, founded by industrial engineers Carlos García Sotelo and Sara López Castro after returning to Galicia. The jury recognized the company’s ability to turn digital entrepreneurship into a driver of talent return, skilled employment, and sustainable development. Nubeiro Labs has acquired and professionalized existing e-commerce businesses, including Bonicos.es and FresaBanana.com, operating them from the Eume region using proprietary technology, financial discipline, and a locally rooted growth model.
The runner-up award in this category went to Ana María de Aspe Doldán for La Tribu Verde, a consultancy based in Oleiros specializing in sustainability solutions for the audiovisual and cultural industries. The jury praised its ability to make sustainability a practical tool for transforming the audiovisual sector by combining innovation, environmental awareness, technology, and social commitment.
In the Best Business Track Record category, the award was presented to Ubaldo Cerqueiro García for Que pasa na Costa, the leading digital newspaper covering Costa da Morte since 2007. The jury recognized its role in providing local news coverage across 19 municipalities and its commitment to hyperlocal journalism in the Galician language as a driver of identity, social cohesion, civic participation, and rural development.
The runner-up award in this category went to Chévere Producciones, a performing arts production, exhibition, and cultural management company founded in 1987, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2027. The jury highlighted its artistic excellence, social commitment, narrative innovation, and contribution to Galician culture. Chévere received Spain’s National Theatre Award in 2014.
In the Best Sustainable Territory Initiative category, the award went to Enzicas Bio, a biotechnology microenterprise based in Santiago de Compostela specializing in developing natural enzyme-based ingredients for the food industry. The company focuses on adding value to local raw materials, particularly Galician chestnuts—including discarded fruit—to create high-value products. The jury praised its commitment to the circular economy, knowledge transfer, and the development of a new bioindustry linked to rural Galicia.
The runner-up award in this category went to Cynthia Arias Ramil for Bieiteiras, an agroecological production initiative based on restoring family rural heritage, promoting food sovereignty, supporting generational renewal, and modernizing the agricultural sector. The jury recognized its ability to combine agricultural innovation, gender equality, biodiversity, and territorial commitment from rural Galicia.
In the Best Unique Business Initiative category, the award went to Francisco José Millán Valiño for Frouma Atlantic Wood, an artisan workshop based in Ribeira that recovers timber from Galician mussel farming rafts and transforms it into designer furniture and original works of art. The jury highlighted the project’s innovative use of raw materials and its ability to connect craftsmanship, sustainability, maritime heritage, designer creativity, and the circular economy with international reach.
The runner-up award in this category went to José Manuel Salvado Sanín for Sanín Percusión Tradicional, an artisan workshop located in Lavacolla, in the municipality of Santiago de Compostela, dedicated since 1990 to designing, manufacturing, researching, repairing, and promoting traditional Galician percussion instruments. The jury recognized its contribution to preserving a craft closely linked to Galicia’s musical heritage and its success in transforming traditional craftsmanship into a sustainable, innovative business with international projection.
The Jury’s Honorary Mention for Best Rural Transformation Initiative was awarded to Queizuar, a cheesemaker founded in 1997 in the village of Bama, municipality of Touro, dedicated to producing traditional Galician cheeses under the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label. The jury recognized its ability to transform a family tradition into an innovative, sustainable industrial model committed to rural Galicia by combining circular economy principles, technological modernization, the promotion of local resources, and long-term support for nearby livestock farms.
Recognition for Isidoro Valerio
The ceremony also included a special tribute to journalist Isidoro Valerio, from La Voz de Galicia and Radiovoz Ferrol, in recognition of a professional career spanning more than four decades, primarily in radio broadcasting.
Valerio previously worked at Cadena SER and Antena 3 Radio and has been part of Radio Voz since 1994, where he hosts the program Voces de Ferrol. He also writes a daily column for La Voz de Galicia‘s Ferrol edition, establishing himself as one of the leading voices in journalism and communications in Ferrolterra and the province of A Coruña.
This article has been sourced from the Employment website of the Provincial Council of A Coruña: https://emprego.dacoruna.gal/novas/ficha-noticia-reducida?id_evento=27923
