27 January, 2026Danobatgroup kicks off the new year reaffirming its commitment to future talent and excellence in training. Students from Tecnun-School of Engineering at the University of Navarra had the opportunity to visit the industrial heart of Europe as a reward for the second edition of the group’s Advanced Manufacturing Hackathon initiative.
The winning team, made up of students from the Master’s in Industrial Engineering program, earned this experience after prevailing in a technological challenge in which more than 60 students participated last December. During the trip, they got a firsthand look at the facilities of two of the group’s key international sites: Danobat-Overbeck and Bimatec Soraluce, subsidiaries in Germany of Danobat and Soraluce.
In this professional immersion, the students not only toured the production facilities but also had the opportunity to interact with the local technical teams, learn about the latest grinding and milling solutions developed for high-demand sectors, and gain firsthand understanding of how a Basque cooperative company such as Danobat or Soraluce competes in a leading market like Germany.
For Sofía Aparicio, a member of the winning team, this experience represented a qualitative leap in her education: "At university, we learn theoretical foundations and solve problems on paper, but having the opportunity to travel to Germany and see how that technology is applied in real machines for top-tier clients has been unique. Winning the Advanced Manufacturing Hackathon was a challenge, and this trip has been the best possible reward to see the real impact of engineering".
The second edition of the initiative, held at the facilities of the group’s technology partner, Ideko, is part of Danobatgroup’s Social Management strategy, aimed at inspiring STEM vocations and positioning the group as an attractive environment for professional development. The longstanding collaboration with Tecnun, which has now exceeded a decade, is key to achieving this objective.
As the group highlights, "breaking down the barriers between the classroom and the factory is essential. We want young talent to see that here at Danobatgroup, they can develop international careers and work with the most advanced technology.
