Fundación LAB Mediterráneo to promote innovation at the Valencia Digital Summit 2024

Valencia, 24 October 2024. -Fundación LAB Mediterráneo, a project promoted by the Asociación Valenciana de Empresarios (AVE), participated in the Valencia Digital Summit 2024, holding a series of exclusive meetings in its VIP Box on 23 and 24 October. The agenda included presentations and round tables on cybersecurity, innovation taxation, sports technology and other key issues for the development of the digital and technological ecosystem in Spain.

 

Innovation and Technology

The day of 23 October began with the presentation “GDES: Blue Ventures”, led by Héctor Dominguis, CEO of GDES and president of Fundación LAB Mediterráneo. Dominguis eexplained how GDES is making progress in sustainability through its Blue Ventures initiative, which seeks to incorporate cutting-edge technologies in the energy sector.

Next, Juan José Enríquez Barbe, partner at ECIJA Abogados, gave a presentation entitled ‘Tax aid for entrepreneurs and R&D&I’, in which he broke down the tax opportunities in Spain for companies that invest in technological innovation. Enriquez highlighted how recent measures make Spain an attractive destination for entrepreneurs and investors interested in developing new technologies.

The focus on cybersecurity was one of the topics of the day, with the participation of Jordi Oliver, Innovation Business Manager of S2 Grupo, who presented the initiative ‘S2X: The open innovation hub that drives startups and solutions in cybersecurity’. He highlighted how S2X has become the first open innovation hub in Spain focused on cybersecurity, connecting startups with corporations, universities and technology centres to develop innovative solutions in areas such as Industry 4.0, quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

To close the day, Fundación LAB Mediterráneo organised the recording of the podcast ‘Visiones Ilimitadas’, which addressed the technological transformation in the field of sports. The panel included experts such as Jordi Urbea, Senior VP of Ogilvy Spain and CEO of Ogilvy Barcelona, Antonio Alquézar, CEO of Sail GP Spanish Team, and Miguel Ángel Leal, Director of Innovation and Technology at La Liga. The speakers discussed how technology is transforming sport, both in terms of competition and the spectator experience.

Thursday 24 October: Entrepreneurship and Digital Future.

The second day in the Vip Box of Fundación LAB Mediterráneo began with a presentation by Pablo Fernández-Pacheco, an expert in digital transformation, who spoke on ‘Balèaria: Motor of innovation and its IA LAB’, highlighting its new commitment to the IA LAB. A laboratory that promotes an open ecosystem that drives both internal and external initiatives, collaborating with startups, universities and training centres. Its aim is to develop and apply innovative solutions that improve customer service, minimise environmental impact and consolidate Balèaria as a leader in innovation in the shipping sector.

Next, Araceli Císcar, executive director and David Pérez, Southern Europe Regional Manager and New Business Manager, both from Dacsa Group, gave way to the presentation ‘Creating shared value’, which addressed the importance of generating value beyond the economic, highlighting how companies have been able to create a positive impact on society and the environment. Using examples from the Dacsa Group, he showed how they have managed to integrate sustainable practices aligned with the well-being of society, without losing competitiveness in the market.

Afterwards, Johann Meier (Managing Director Mobility Division of Power Electronics), Daniel De los Reyes (Operations Director of S2 Grupo) and Teresa Cercós (Chief Operating Officer of Importaco) participated in the workshop entitled ‘Business diversification through cross innovation’, moderated by Guillermo Berlanga, Innovation Director of Grupo Gimeno. This session explored how collaboration between companies from different sectors has been able to generate new opportunities for innovation and growth.

Today’s afternoon was marked by the presentation of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Programme and a subsequent round table discussion, where Víctor Rahona (Portfolio Manager at Angels Capital), Guillermo Flor (Capital Investor at GoHub Ventures), Javier Pérez Trigo (Head of Digital Natives at Google Cloud) and Mario Teijeiro (Managing Director at Deloitte) discussed how they have been able to boost the scalability of high-growth technology companies in Spain. This global Deloitte programme has sought to identify the 50 technology-based companies with the highest growth in the country, providing strategic support for their expansion.

The day concluded with a presentation entitled ‘Fundación LAB and Sail GP, F1 from the Sea: From Data to Success’, which highlighted Sail GP’s innovative use of technology and data in sailing competition, while emphasising its commitment to sustainability. Speakers included Bindhiya Vasandani, project manager at AVE, and Antonio Alquézar, CEO of Sail GP Spanish Team.

The conference not only served as a space for the exchange of ideas, but also fostered collaboration between startups, corporations and experts from various industries, laying the foundations for the development of technological solutions that have had a decisive impact on the future of the European digital ecosystem.

With a packed agenda of high-level speakers and a focus on open innovation and the growth of Scaleups, Fundación LAB Mediterráneo has confirmed its commitment to creating a more competitive, digital and sustainable environment for the companies and entrepreneurs of the future.

Fundación LAB Mediterráneo