Erik Zabala

Erik Zabala Versteeg (Pamplona, 1974) is an Industrial Engineer, specialized in Mechanics (Public University of Navarra, 1998) and PDG (IESE Business School – University of Navarra, 2015). He worked for 8 years in the multinational company ROFIN-SINAR, a manufacturer of industrial laser equipment, until 2006, when he joined the family business Zabala Innovation.

From 2006 to 2009 he was dedicated to the design, preparation and management of industrial R&D&I projects and technology dissemination, especially in the automotive, transport, materials and public works sectors. He has participated in both national (CENIT) and international collaborative projects.

In 2009 he joined the Management Committee, taking over the management of the National Area of Zabala Innovation, responsible for clients and calls for proposals for grants at regional and national level. His responsibilities during this period included coordinating the different work teams, client follow-up and relations with Public Administrations. He was also responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the ISO 9001 quality system.

In 2011 he began to take on additional responsibilities, such as the coordination of the national offices, the management of internal R&D (Implementation of UNE 166.002) and the management of the Sales department.

In 2013 he focused on the company’s internationalisation process and in 2014 he worked closely with the International Department on a new International Development Plan that involved the opening of new subsidiaries abroad. Furthermore he boosted the creation of a network of international partners to provide services to clients in other countries.

Erik Zabala participates directly in strategic meetings with the management of client companies, both SMEs and large corporations, and maintains direct and continuous contact with the Public Administrations at national (Ministries, CDTI, and so on) and regional level (in the different Autonomous Communities).

Since 2018 he is CEO, together with his sister Ainhoa Zabala, managing the corporate areas and the business units, oriented to solve the needs of his clients in the field of public funding of innovation (regional, national, European), tax incentives for R&D&I, and strategic innovation consultancy. The growth of this last area of services related to innovation strategies, digital transformation, studies and services for public administrations, public procurement of innovation and social innovation, has led to a new unit led by Unai Zabala. In this way, the three siblings represent the second generation of the consultancy firm founded in 1986 by José Mª Zabala, today president of the company.