The Valencian Community is positioning itself as a tech destination, as evidenced by the VDS Tech Report: Collaboration Trends between Corporates and Startups, presented today by David Samu, Managing Director of EY-Parthenon in Spain, and Karina Virrueta, Head of Innovation Ecosystem at Startup Valencia.
According to this report, events like VDS and the environment created within Valencia’s tech ecosystem to promote open innovation between corporates and startups are key factors in attracting talent, projects, and international investment.
In this regard, David Samu from EY emphasized the findings of the VDS socioeconomic impact report as an international tech event, noting that VDS2023 generated an economic impact of 12.3 million euros in the Valencian Community and predicts that the 2024 event will generate more than 15 million euros. “Moreover, VDS is the tech event that offers the best return on investment for the local economy and positions Spain as a country with quality tech events worldwide,” he added.
Meanwhile, Karina Virrueta highlighted that it’s an “ideal platform for international networking among corporates, innovation directors, and startups.”
These conclusions were presented at a breakfast organized by VDS in collaboration with the Ministry of Innovation, AlicanTEC, Digital District, and Startup Valencia at Building 5 in the Alicante Port Digital District.
In addition, the topic was discussed in a round table featuring Ana Isabel Rueda, People Lead for the Valencian Community at NTT Data; Sofía Blasco, Vice President of AlicanTEC; and Anibal Villalba, Director of Strategy and Institutional Relations at PLD Space.
The participants emphasized the importance of talent as a driving force for investment and projects. However, talent also presents a challenge, as “competition for talent is global,” noted Ana Isabel Rueda. “We need to create companies where these individuals want to work, where they can grow and find quality of life, and for this business fabric to have that capacity, investment and innovation are needed,” she added. In this sense, Anibal Villalba explained that “to attract talent, appealing projects must exist.”
Nacho Mas, CEO of Startup Valencia, raised the question of how the innovation ecosystem can help transform the productive fabric of the Valencian Community and involve traditional businesses. Public-private collaboration has emerged as a key element, with Sofía Blasco noting that it is “crucial for many strategic projects to move forward.”
The event concluded with a panel analyzing the role of technology in the Valencian audiovisual cluster, featuring Fermín Crespo, Director General of the Digital Transformation Projects Society, and Anabel Rosas, Director of Líder Alicante.
Jerónimo Mora, Regional Secretary for Innovation, wrapped up the event with a presentation on the Generalitat Valenciana’s commitment to innovation. He highlighted “the collaboration of all ecosystem players in a close and fluid manner.”