“Can AI-generated inventions be patented?”
“It’s a myth that the US innovates while Europe regulates.”
“To all researchers: you don’t know it yet, but you’re also entrepreneurs.”

These were some of the topics discussed at this year’s Tech Spirit Breakthrough at Pier07, a summit that gathered TTO leaders, spin-off founders and investors focused on one challenge: how to get more science out of the lab and into the market. Here are a few moments that stood out:

• “Long Live Breakthrough”
  The day opened with Javier Selva, Director General for Knowledge Transfer and Society at the Generalitat de Catalunya, and Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona. Selva highlighted Catalonia’s commitment to accelerating innovation, particularly in healthcare, while also creating opportunities in sectors that have traditionally received less attention and funding. Together, they emphasised the importance of connecting research, entrepreneurship and industry to strengthen the innovation ecosystem. And concluded: “Long Live Breakthrough”.

• Can AI-Generated Inventions Be Patented?
  According to Ignasi Costas, Managing Partner at RCD and General Secretary of Tech Barcelona, the answer (for now) is no. Patent systems still require a human inventor. But the discussion quickly expanded beyond intellectual property to address a broader range of legal and regulatory issues. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into everyday research, universities and research institutions are facing a new challenge: how to govern these technologies responsibly while preserving their capacity to innovate.
  

• “You Don’t Know It Yet, But You’re an Entrepreneur”
  Research has always been at the heart of Eli Bou’s career, one of the most influential figures in Barcelona’s tech ecosystem. But it was only when someone told her, “You don’t know it yet, but you’re an entrepreneur,” that she began to see herself differently. Soon after, she founded Vilynx, a startup acquired in 2020 by Apple. Now she has become a serial entrepreneur with Cala AI. Building a research group and building a startup have far more in common than people think.

• The Myth That Europe Only Regulates
  “It’s simply not true that the U.S. creates and Europe regulates.” That’s according to Ignasi Belda, currently Director of AI at the Bank of Spain (entrepreneur; former Director General of Spain’s AI Supervisory Agency; and former CEO of the Barcelona Science Park, among other roles). In a conversation with Ana Maiques (Neuroelectrics), he shared how AI is already embedded in many processes at the Bank of Spain, with much of this innovation work being driven from Barcelona.

• “I Became an Entrepreneur So Science Could Become Reality”
  During a chat hosted by Endeavor, Alex Martí, CEO and Co-founder of Mitiga Solutions, put it best: “I didn’t leave science to become an entrepreneur. I became an entrepreneur so science could become reality.”

• Demo Day
  We heard pitches from 10 spin-offs: ELEM Biotech, AiQUOS, Flavii, PlasmOnCo, EAR, Virtest Technologies, ATOM H2, Adonis and OneCareAI, followed by live questions from investors in the audience.

• What Investors Are Looking For
  The day closed with a panel featuring investors from Faber VC, Plus Partners and Invivo Partners, moderated by ACCIÓ. Investors are looking for more than great technology. Strong teams, clear market opportunities, scalability and the ability to execute remain just as important as the underlying science.