Innovation in XR technologies has once again positioned ARSOFT at the forefront of the Spanish technology landscape. The company has been awarded first place in the Augmented/Mixed Reality Category at the 2026 Awards for the Development of Novel Dual-Use Technologies Linked to Autonomous Naval Platforms, organized by the Spanish Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI).

This recognition is more than an institutional award; it validates over a decade of dedicated work developing immersive solutions capable of addressing real-world challenges across industries such as manufacturing, defense, and healthcare.

Our colleague Manuel Martínez Cuadrón accepted the award on behalf of ARSOFT, a moment that perfectly reflects who we are as a company: people are behind every technological achievement.

What Are the CDTI Awards for autonomous naval technologies?

These awards were created with a clear objective: to identify and recognize the most innovative ideas developed by Spanish companies in strategic technological areas related to autonomous naval platforms, one of the key priorities outlined in Spain’s Defence Technology and Innovation Strategy (ETID).

The 2026 edition is structured around 13 technological categories, covering areas ranging from autonomous decision-making and tactical data fusion to digital twins, photonics, and combat cloud technologies. Category 7 is specifically dedicated to Augmented and Mixed Reality, a field that CDTI considers essential for the future operational evolution of naval systems.

Within this highly competitive framework, ARSOFT’s proposal was evaluated as the best in its category, outperforming all other submissions.

Why Augmented and Mixed Reality are critical for autonomous naval platforms

The digitalization of the naval sector is no longer an emerging trend—it is a transformation already underway. Shipyards, maritime operators, and defense organizations are increasingly integrating digital technologies to optimize processes, reduce intervention times, and manage ever more complex operations.

In this context, Augmented and Mixed Reality have evolved from promising concepts into technologies with measurable, real-world applications. By overlaying precise digital information onto physical environments, these technologies enable tasks such as:

• Predictive maintenance of onboard systems, providing visual access to technical documentation without interrupting operations.
• Guided inspection of structures and components, reducing errors and inspection times.
• Immersive technical training, allowing personnel to practice complex procedures in simulated environments before executing them in real-world scenarios.
• Remote expert assistance, enabling specialists onshore to visually guide onboard operators in real time.

In autonomous naval environments, these capabilities become even more valuable. Effective interaction between human operators and autonomous systems requires intuitive, context-aware, and highly responsive interfaces. Today, Augmented and Mixed Reality are among the most promising technologies available to meet this need.

When combined with Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twin technologies, the result is a safer, more connected operational environment with enhanced responsiveness to unexpected situations.

ARSOFT: More than a decade building spain’s XR ecosystem

Founded in 2013, ARSOFT was built on a simple conviction: Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality technologies had the potential to transform the way people work, learn, and make decisions. Over the years, that vision has become a reality.

The company has successfully delivered more than 500 projects for national and international organizations, covering applications ranging from industrial technical documentation digitalization to surgical planning and tactical simulation. Among its flagship products are:

• EyeFlow: A platform designed to digitize technical documentation and create XR content without programming. EyeFlow enables organizations to scale training, maintenance, and operational support processes without relying on specialized development teams
• LAIA XR: An advanced medical visualization and surgical planning solution designed to improve preoperative preparation for healthcare professionals and surgeons.

Both products reflect ARSOFT’s philosophy: technology should not exist for its own sake, but rather as a practical tool that solves real challenges in demanding professional environments.

An Award that opens new opportunities

Winning first place in the Augmented/Mixed Reality category of the CDTI Awards 2026 represents more than a symbolic achievement. The autonomous naval platform sector is experiencing increasing investment, with programs focused on integrating advanced perception, assistance, and decision-support capabilities into increasingly sophisticated systems.

In this evolving landscape, human-machine collaboration, the convergence of physical and digital environments, and intelligent operational support systems will play a decisive role. Augmented and Mixed Reality technologies are expected to be key enablers of this transformation, and ARSOFT now enters this space backed by one of the highest institutional recognitions available in Spain.

A collective achievement, a shared motivation

Above all, this award is the result of teamwork. It reflects every project successfully brought into operation, every technical challenge overcome, and every client who trusted a technology that many still considered futuristic.

It is this accumulated experience that makes achievements like this possible.

At ARSOFT, we remain committed to demonstrating that technology developed in Spain can compete—and win—in some of the most demanding international environments. First place in the Augmented/Mixed Reality category of the CDTI Awards marks another important milestone on that journey. More will follow.