Protechting – Open Innovation Program Qorus-NTT DATA Innovation in Insurance Awards 2026

Protechting was created in 2016 to address a critical gap in highly regulated industries such as insurance, health, and sustainability: innovation was happening, but too slowly, too disconnected from business reality, and with limited measurable impact. 

While the market is crowded with accelerators and innovation programs focused on mentoring or visibility, Protechting was designed with a fundamentally different ambition: to deliver execution, not experimentation for its own sake. Its competitive advantage lies in a pilot-driven, outcome-oriented model that connects mature startups directly with corporate decision-makers to solve real, high-priority business challenges. 

Now running its 8th edition, the program draws inspiration from leading international open innovation models, combined with a strong belief that collaboration across geographies and sectors is essential to address complex global challenges such as longevity, healthcare access, and sustainable growth. Protechting uniquely bridges Europe, Asia, and Latin America, positioning itself as a global innovation platform rather than a local initiative. 

Internally, Protechting mobilises a truly cross-functional structure, involving innovation, strategy, business units, technology, legal, and compliance teams. This integrated approach significantly reduces friction, accelerates decision-making, and ensures that innovation moves from concept to market with speed and rigor. 

Key results achieved so far include: a strong international ecosystem connecting corporates, startups, investors, and innovation partners across multiple regions; successful design and execution of paid pilots, validating solutions in real market conditions; creation of long-term strategic partnerships between corporates and startups, beyond the program lifecycle; tangible business impact through new products, operational efficiency gains, and sustainability-driven innovation. 

Protechting demonstrates that open innovation delivers value only when it produces measurable results, scalable solutions, and real business impact, through an execution-first mindset. 

Why are we submitting the program now? Because Protechting has now reached the level of maturity, consistency, and measurable impact that makes this recognition fully deserved. What began as an ambitious open innovation initiative has evolved, over eight editions, into a proven execution platform with an increasingly strong track record of real pilots, cross-functional mobilization, international partnerships, and long-term business value. Edition after edition, the program has expanded its reach, sharpened its model, and deepened its ability to convert startup-corporate collaboration into tangible outcomes, not only in Portugal, but across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In that sense, this application is about recognising a program that has demonstrated sustained execution, growing relevance, and the maturity to serve as a benchmark for how open innovation in insurance can deliver measurable, scalable, and globally connected impact.