Over recent years, Valencia has emerged as a leading technology hub in Southern Europe. To further strengthen this position, the Valencian innovation ecosystem traveled to Amsterdam to participate in TNW, an event hosted by the Financial Times.
A business delegation led by the Valencia City Council, in collaboration with Startup Valencia, attended this international tech festival, which took place in the Dutch capital on June 20 and 21. Here, they unveiled the València Innovation Capital strategy. As part of TNW’s agenda, ‘The Assembly’ was held—an exclusive event gathering select political figures and business leaders to discuss viable solutions for tech policy developments and how to balance regulation and innovation.
Paula Llobet, Councilor for Tourism, Innovation, and Investment Attraction at the Valencia City Council; Nacho Mas, CEO of Startup Valencia; and David Rosa, Director of Innovation at València Innovation Lab, participated in the gathering. Notably, the Valencia City Council hosted a coworking lunch during the event, discussing topics such as market unity and public-private collaboration.
Members of the Valencian business delegation also took part in “Scaling to Southern Europe: Why València?”. Promoted by Valencia Innovation Capital, this session was framed as an opportunity to connect the Valencian and Amsterdam innovation ecosystems and promote networking between them.
During his speech, Nacho Mas highlighted the factors that make Valencia attractive for startups, such as its advanced technological infrastructure, a growing startup ecosystem, institutional support, and international connectivity. “Valencia is not only a city with an enviable climate and rich cultural history; it is also a fertile environment for innovation and business growth. Incubators, accelerators, and coworking spaces provide entrepreneurs with the resources needed to scale their ventures,” explained Nacho Mas.
Paula Llobet spoke with Andrii Degeler, TNW’s head of media, about transforming a city into an innovation epicenter. According to Llobet, “showcasing in a tech hub like Amsterdam all the opportunities Valencia offers for innovation and investment is crucial for our city. Displaying the full potential of our ecosystem at high-profile international tech events like TNW is a unique opportunity to boost innovation, attract talent and investment, and foster collaboration between the Valencian ecosystem and other innovation ecosystems globally.”
Karloos Rivera, Strategic Advisor for Startup Valencia, together with Lotte Engels, Director of NL Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO) Barcelona, also had the chance to showcase startups present at TNW under the ‘TNW for Startups’ program promoted by the Valencia City Council through València Innovation Capital: ambi.careers, Balize, Bookahospi, CatalogueFlow, Cibernova, Crowmie, IKOSIA, Karlota, Lodgerin, Nästa, Qualitime, Spiny, TwinTune, Worksible, and World Challenge Game.
Valencia-Amsterdam Connection
This year, Valencia and Amsterdam are collaborating closely, as the TNW festival is a Strategic Partner of the seventh edition of VDS. The international tech event, organized by Startup Valencia and set to take place on October 23 and 24 at the City of Arts and Sciences, is already a reference in Southern Europe and the platform that positions Valencia as a global tech hub.
TNW is working with the VDS team to expand its international startup competition, providing additional opportunities for emerging and talented startups across Europe to share ideas at VDS. Moreover, the Financial Times company will also organize its own international ecosystems forum during the event, dedicated to highlighting how companies in Valencia can attract talent and promote growth both domestically and internationally.
