Iberia launches ‘Innovation HUB’ with focus on emerging technologies and new approaches

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience

Iberia has launched its ‘Innovation HUB’ – a new platform that centralises its technological, operational and sustainability commitments, using emerging technologies and new approaches.

Iberia – a member of International Airlines Group (a Headline Partner of APEX FTE EMEA and APEX FTE Ancillary & Retailing, Dublin, 10-12 June 2025, and a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub) – has launched its ‘Innovation HUB’, a new platform that brings together and gives visibility to its entire trajectory and commitment to innovation. With this initiative, the airline seeks to consolidate itself as a benchmark in technological transformation, excellence in operations, sustainability and customer experience in the aviation industry.

Inspired by the concept of large airport hubs, this new space functions as a connection point for ideas, talent and technology, integrating internal innovation projects and external collaborations to face the major challenges of the sector. The Iberia Innovation HUB, which is defined by six key attributes: connected, co-piloted, cybersecure, sustainable, collective and personalised, has also launched a new web platform from which startups, clients and collaborators can explore real cases and propose new solutions.

Innovation and transformation at Iberia involve working together with all the people in the company, as well as collaborating with external national and international agents. The airline employs emerging technologies and new approaches to solve the challenges of the airline and tourism industry. This approach makes it possible to complement internal capabilities with innovative ideas that come from outside the company. Iberia’s Innovation HUB works in direct collaboration with IAGi, the innovation vehicle of International Airlines Group (IAG), and the other airlines in the group.

“With the Innovation HUB, we want to make visible a decade of work, alliances and learning, and at the same time project ourselves into the future with more ambition,” said Ignacio Tovar, Director of Innovation, Iberia. “Innovation is no longer optional: it is the path to offering maximum operational excellence, together with an increasingly personalised, efficient and sustainable experience to our customers.”

The Iberia Innovation HUB has a series of vehicles that help accelerate innovation and seek to generate value for the airline’s business. This HUB also connects to IAGi, the innovation vehicle of the IAG group, which brings together:

• IAGi Accelerator, an acceleration program for startups, with more than 100 collaborations carried out. For the first time, the program will offer two different paths designed for global startups at different stages of their development, a 12-week ‘Deploy’ modality for startups with ready-to-test solutions, and a 24-week ‘Discover’ modality designed for early-stage deep tech startups that are developing disruptive technologies with a high potential to impact aviation. This includes Sustainable Aviation Fuel, carbon capture technology, single-use, fuel-efficient alternatives to plastic, and others.
• IAGi Ventures, a new corporate investment fund to invest in innovative startups in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation and robotics, new experiential platforms, connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT), sustainability or technological security. This investment will be one of the largest of its kind in the world and the largest made by a European airline group.

In addition, Iberia participates in several external innovation vehicles, such as Patio Campus (Europe’s leading corporate innovation campus that promotes innovative projects with a positive impact on society) and All4Zero (the first industrial innovation alliance in Spain focused on the development of technologies related to decarbonisation and the circular economy).

BA Chairman & CEO to keynote at FTE World Innovation Summit, hosted by PIT, 13-15 May

Hear from British Airways – a member of International Airlines Group – at the FTE World Innovation Summit, hosted by Pittsburgh International Airport on 13-15 May 2025. Sean Doyle, Chairman & CEO, British Airways, will deliver the Opening Keynote, sharing insights into BA’s £7 billion transformation. See the full FTE World Innovation Summit agenda >> Find out more and register for the FTE World Innovation Summit >>

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Iberia launches ‘Innovation HUB’ with focus on emerging technologies and new approaches