• The technical consultancy specialising in R&D&I joins the association through Magna Business Consultants, a newly created branch dedicated to advising entrepreneurs.

Barcelona, 24 January 2023. – INCOTEC, the technical consultancy specialising in R&D&I, industrial environment and incentive management, has joined Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner. The agreement has been made through Magna Business Consultants, the new branch of INCOTEC dedicated to entrepreneurship consultancy, with the aim of becoming directly involved in the development of innovation, providing solutions that promote the growth of the technological and digital ecosystem of Barcelona.

With more than 20 years of experience, INCOTEC works in the main areas of industrial and technological activity and has offices in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Zaragoza, Seville, Vigo, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao and Cologne (Germany), as well as international representation in Brussels for the management of European aid and financing.

For Jaime Astiz Alonso, founding partner and director of INCOTEC and sole director of Magna Business Consultants, “the strategic partnership with Tech Barcelona represents an important milestone in our goal of being present in the world of innovation. The collaboration with Tech Barcelona will allow us, through Magna Business Consultants, to collaborate with entrepreneurs to give shape to their projects, providing support in the organisation and management throughout the process, both in terms of documentation and organisational management, as well as in the search for collaborations with third parties interested in contributions and/or technical collaborations. In addition, it will enable the connection of these projects with other innovative initiatives at national and international level”.

For his part, Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, pointed out the importance of “involving agents such as INCOTEC, specialised in innovation in industrial sectors, in the dynamics of startups and corporations”. “The entrepreneurial ecosystem of Barcelona will benefit from the extensive knowledge and experience of INCOTEC through Magna Business Consultants”.

• The innovation studio will implement digital solutions that will improve the association’s database management, which is representative of the technological and digital ecosystem of Barcelona.

Barcelona, 28 November 2023. – The innovation and digital business development studio Artefacto E2E, based at Pier01, has signed a collaboration agreement with Tech Barcelona to become the association’s new technology partner. As a result, the studio will implement digital solutions to improve the management of Tech Barcelona’s database, with information on more than 6,500 companies, and achieve more personalised communication between its members and partners.

“Information management is fundamental in an association like ours. We are well-versed in how Artefacto E2E operates, as members of Tech Barcelona since 2020. We understand that the implementation of their digital solutions is key during this period of expansion we’re currently experiencing: with over 1,300 members, 90 partners, and an increasingly diversified and international technological and digital environment, these management solutions help us maintain greater control over information for the benefit of the entire ecosystem,” said Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona.

According to Frederic Dalmau and Ana Galindo, partners and co-CEOs of Artefacto E2E, “Artefacto E2E brings digital solutions to Tech Barcelona with a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, aiming for a more robust and connected technological future”.

• L’acord de col·laboració facilita l’accés al finançament al teixit empresarial de Barcelona, a fi de contribuir en el creixement de l’emprenedoria actuant com a complement del finançament privat

Barcelona, 27 de novembre de 2023.- L’Institut Català de Finances, l’entitat financera pública de Catalunya, ha signat un acord de col·laboració amb l’associació Tech Barcelona per incrementar el coneixement de les solucions de finançament existents i impulsar el finançament de l’ecosistema tecnològic i digital de Barcelona. L’acord consolida la relació de la banca pública de promoció de Catalunya amb el teixit empresarial de la ciutat.

En aquest sentit, l’ICF té productes com l’ICF Venture Tech, fons de capital risc destinats a invertir en projectes tecnològics i/o d’innovació en les seves etapes inicials i amb models de negoci innovadors, o IFEM Innovació, un finançament en coinversió amb inversors privats i fons de capital risc en forma de préstec participatius per a empreses en fases inicials o en les primeres etapes de creixement.

Vanessa Servera, consellera delegada de l’ICF: “Per a l’ICF, aquest conveni amb Tech Barcelona és una aliança estratègica per fer més sòlida la relació de la banca pública de promoció de Catalunya amb l’ecosistema tecnològic i digital. L’ICF és un agent de finançament rellevant en el sector tecnològic i d’start-ups i aquest acord contribueix a materialitzar encara més la seva posició i a incrementar el coneixement de les solucions de finançament que ofereix.”

Miquel Martí, CEO de Tech Barcelona: “L’Institut Català de finances ha estat i és un agent clau en el desenvolupament de l’ecosistema tecnològic català, per la seva implicació com a inversor directe i col·laborant amb el venture capital. Formalitzar aquest rol a través de la seva incorporació com a partner de Tech Barcelona reforça la visió compartida de que la col·laboració publicoprivada és clau per a l’impuls de l’ecosistema”.

El conveni signat preveu la col·laboració entre Tech Barcelona i l’ICF en la promoció d’iniciatives, programes i esdeveniments de l’àmbit tecnològic i digital, l’organització de tallers i grups de treball, i la participació a actes com el Tech Spirit Barcelona o el 4YFN.

Tech Barcelona, associació independent i sense ànim de lucre que treballa per a consolidar Barcelona com un hub tecnològic i digital de referència internacional, representa a més de 1.300 socis i compta amb el suport més de 90 organitzacions partners, líders en el seu sector, compromeses amb el projecte.

• The pharmaceutical company, which has a production plant in Barcelona, strengthens its commitment to the development of the city’s health and life sciences innovation ecosystem.

• With this incorporation, the tech association has the backing of a dozen corporations in the health sector, and a significant representation of startups, investment funds, hospitals and research centres.

Barcelona, 21 November 2023. – The pharmaceutical company Angelini Pharma has joined Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner to jointly promote the development of the innovation ecosystem in health and life sciences in Barcelona. With this incorporation, the association now brings together a dozen corporations in the health sector, and a significant representation of biotech, medtech, digital health and healthtech startups, specialised investment funds, universities, research centres and the public health system, with the aim of boosting their growth through technology.

Angelini Pharma is a century-old Italian pharmaceutical company with an international focus on the therapeutic areas of Brain Health, pain and inflammation, ophthalmology and Consumer Health. With more than 45 years of presence in Spain, the company has one of its five production plants located in Sant Quirze del Vallès (Barcelona), from where it manufactures more than three million units of Juanola tablets per year. Having consolidated Barcelona as the epicentre of its operations and engine of scientific innovation, with more than 200 employees and a digital innovation centre, Angelini Pharma is strengthening its commitment to the city to catalyse the future of healthcare through digitalisation.

In February 2023, Tech Barcelona launched Pier07, a reference hub for business innovation in the health and life sciences sector. Located at Via Laietana 26, it hosts all the players in the health sector value chain and in a short time has become a meeting point to promote its growth through the generation of connections, content and strategic projects.

This alliance is a strategic confluence to enhance the transformation of the healthcare sector and have a positive impact on society. In the words of Olga Insua, CEO of Angelini Pharma Spain, “At Angelini Pharma we have a track record of more than a century of improving people’s health and quality of life through innovation and collaboration. This alliance with Tech Barcelona will not only strengthen our capabilities, but will also contribute to reinforcing the city’s digital health ecosystem to accelerate the arrival of healthcare solutions based on cutting-edge technologies that address the healthcare challenges of the present and the future”.

For his part, Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, assures that “the health and life sciences sector in Barcelona represents a fundamental pillar in the development of technology and innovation in the city. Collaborating with long-standing and cutting-edge partners, such as Angelini Pharma, enhances our ability to improve the quality of life and well-being of all citizens through technology”.

Por Miguel Gómez.

Tan pronto te llenan las 90.000 localidades del Camp Nou, como reúnen a centenares de miles de viewers ‘finde’ tras ‘finde’ con la colaboración de los mayores streamers de Twitch, Youtube y TikTok. La capacidad de atracción de la Kings League InfoJobs, la competición de fútbol voluble y frenético de Gerard Piqué y Oriol Querol, ha llamado la atención de algunas marcas valientes. E Infojobs fue de las primeras en apostar por este proyecto tan disruptor.

“En mi época de director financiero, nunca habría aprobado un patrocinio así” reconoce Román Campa, CEO de Adevinta Spain, ante la sonrisa de quien sabe que la campaña ha sido un exitazo: “Nilton Navarro [Brand Manager de InfoJobs e impulsor del patrocinio] me convenció que éste era el camino correcto. Y sólo el tiempo lo ha confirmado”. Infojobs está presente en el nombre de la liga masculina, serigrafiada en las camisetas de todos los equipos e, incluso, involucrada como la plataforma tecnológica que gestiona el proceso de selección de jugadores.

Para entender mejor este fenómeno, representantes del ecosistema tecnológico y digital de Barcelona convocados a la Tech Barcelona Dinner, se reunieron en el restaurante de Casa Seat junto a los protagonistas de la historia. La cena, sin embargo, contraprogramaba el After Kings, el programa de los lunes por la noche que repasa las mejores jugadas de la jornada anterior. “Lo que para el público son tertulias entre amigos, para nosotros es el equivalente a un consejo de administración”, ironizó Oriol Querol, CEO de la competición. Pero no lo decía en broma: tuvo que irse antes de empezar a dar bocado, corriendo hacia el plató. “Esta noche, que no salga de aquí, anunciaremos que, durante las finales de la Kingdom Cup, los presidentes saltarán al campo del Palau Sant Jordi haciendo puenting desde 25 metros de altura”. Quien diría que Oriol es el personaje más serio en este circo de la Kings.

Eduard Scott, Managing Director de Goatch (joint venture creado por Gerard Piqué y el streamer Ibai Llanos), confirmó este estilo desenfrenado de la liga: “Hemos puesto el deporte al servicio del entretenimiento. Hasta el árbitro, que tradicionalmente debería seguir el reglamento, en nuestro caso sigue las directrices de la sala de realización”. Y para los sponsors, esto es una excelente noticia. Poner el entretenimiento en el centro permite que la creatividad vuele. Lienzo en blanco, libertad absoluta para proponer y crear: el único objetivo es el impacto. A los asistentes -en su mayoría responsables de innovación, marketing o tecnología en empresas reconocidas- los ojos les hacían chiribitas cuando Gabriel Lluch, Commercial Manager de la Kings y Queens League, explicó algunas de las activaciones de partnerships: Netflix, por ejemplo, convirtió el CUPRA Arena en un set de cine con tanques y militares, y Mahou aprovechó los descansos entre partidos para montar tertulias de bar con cervezas en mano. “Llevo sólo un mes aquí, y ya parece que haya pasado más de un año”, resumió Gabriel.

La cena acabó con esta apertura de miras, y la sensación de que todo es posible. Y, sobre todo, explicitando la necesaria colaboración entre el ecosistema tecnológico de Barcelona y los promotores de estas ideas disruptivas que, en definitiva, ponen a Barcelona en el ojo del huracán. Aún más. Valentía para crear, valentía para creer.

Barcelona, 7 November 2023. – Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb, met this morning with representatives of Barcelona’s technological and digital ecosystem, convened by Tech Barcelona. With the backing of the association and in front of an audience that included entrepreneurs linked to the city’s technology sector, Blecharczyk reinforced his commitment to Barcelona, expressed his gratitude for serving as an inspiration for many local entrepreneurs and highlighted the most immediate challenges facing the company.

The Airbnb co-founder has highlighted the importance that the new European regulation on short-term rentals – which under the Spanish EU presidency is about to be approved by the European Parliament – will have on the company’s relations with local governments. “This regulation will mark a turning point as, for the first time, platforms and local authorities will have clear guidelines on how to share data, enforce rules and make the rules work for everyone. This new EU framework is a great opportunity to re-establish and rebuild our conversation with authorities at local and regional level in Spain, including Barcelona”.

Airbnb began operations in Spain in 2012, just four years after launching in San Francisco. “We chose Barcelona because it is not only a place of incredible history and culture, but also a centre of innovation and technological progress where we can find talent; we are proud to be part of this community,” said Blecharczyk. Airbnb, which has been part of Tech Barcelona since 2016, made one of its first acquisitions in Barcelona: in 2017 it bought Trip4real, a Barcelona-based startup that was a foundational part of the platform’s experience business.

Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona: “Airbnb’s arrival in Barcelona in 2012 had a very important impact on the city’s self-recognition as an entrepreneurial and technological city. Since then, the company has played a very important role both at the ecosystem level (with the acquisition of the startup Trip4real), as well as for the firm and constant commitment of Barcelona as a global tourist destination. Nathan Blecharczyk’s visit and the meeting with Tech Barcelona’s partners and associates reinforces this ongoing commitment and support for the local entrepreneurial community. We at Tech Barcelona look forward to continuing to work closely with Airbnb and taking advantage of the opportunities that the new European regulation will bring for the benefit of all”.

Airbnb believes it has a lot to offer cities like Barcelona that receive millions of visitors a year, both tourists and people who want to settle in the city to work.

In addition, Tech Barcelona accompanied Blecharczyk to the Smart City Expo, where he took part in the opening session with Mar Galtés, the association’s director of corporate development, in which they discussed topics such as the dispersion of tourism. 2023 marks the record for travel dispersal on the Airbnb platform, a year in which guests have stayed in more than 100,000 cities and towns around the world, a record number. “We believe our platform helps provide a solution by dispersing travel, helping guests discover unique new destinations and communities beyond the usual tourist hotspots. And we are constantly investing in new technologies to support this work,” remarked Blecharczyk during his speech.

Blecharczyk, who had not visited Spain since 2017, pointed out the importance of creating projects that bring value to the local community. “The biggest impact Airbnb is having is on the hosts. Being a host in Spain has been an economic lifeline for many,” added Blecharczyk, who pointed out that, in Spain, almost 8 out of 10 hosts only have one listing on the platform. The company highlights that this is an indicator that, for the most part, these hosts are individuals or families who share their residence on an occasional basis, or also a private room or a second residence when they are not using it.

• Tech Barcelona and ESTEVE share their desire to promote technological innovation in their ultimate goal of improving people’s lives through healthcare.

• The agreement allows the pharmaceutical company to establish greater connections with Barcelona’s technological and digital ecosystem.

Barcelona, 25 de octubre de 2023. – Pharmaceutical company ESTEVE has joined the Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner with the aim of promoting its new innovation model, based on establishing solid collaborative relationships with platforms specialising in innovation and health sciences. Tech Barcelona represents Barcelona’s technological and digital ecosystem in a transversal way and has a strategic focus on the health sector, where it already brings together more than ten large companies from the pharmaceutical industry, numerous startups and public and private institutions.

Since ESTEVE was founded more than 90 years ago, its purpose has been to improve people’s lives. The pharmaceutical company’s joining Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner is a significant step in the realisation of this commitment. This partnership provides ESTEVE with unrivalled access to an advanced healthcare innovation ecosystem, as well as a network of specialised and diverse talent and initiatives. By joining Tech Barcelona, ESTEVE strengthens its transformational project, supporting its position as a leader in biomedical innovation.

José María Giménez Arnau, Chief Scientific & Medical Officer of ESTEVE: ” Joining Tech Barcelona will boost our innovation model, bringing us together with an innovative, diverse and specialised ecosystem in healthcare. It is also a commitment to talent in biomedical research. This collaboration strengthens our founding raison d’être, as leaders in health innovation, promoting advances that will contribute significantly to improving people’s quality of life”.

“Tech Barcelona shares with ESTEVE the historic desire to improve people’s lives through innovation and technology, from Barcelona and with a global outlook. This alliance will allow us to build greater relationships in the health and life sciences sector with one main objective: accelerate its impact on citizens, the health system and its professionals,” says Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona.

Tech Barcelona’s commitment to the health sector is structured around Pier07, a hub of reference in business innovation in the health and life sciences sector. Located at Via Laietana 26, the building houses startups, pharmaceutical companies, investors, institutions, universities, research centres and the public health system, all of which are represented and actively participate in Tech Barcelona’s content and activities. The space is part of the Urban Tech Campus project, a network of connected buildings for innovation and technology to be integrated into the city.