The success of the seventh edition of VDS has solidified this international tech event as a global platform for innovation and technology, with artificial intelligence playing a starring role. The annual gathering, organized by Startup Valencia, celebrates its final day today at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, drawing more than 12,000 professionals from 110 countries, over 700 investors, 1,500 corporations, and 2,500 startups, becoming a global showcase for the innovative and technological ecosystem.
As for the lecture program, more than 600 people are participating across the 7 stages of the event. Leaders from prestigious multinational companies, experts, and tech gurus, under the motto ‘Embracing evolution: Invest in the leaders of tomorrow,’ are analyzing how the current technological revolution is positively impacting society through the voices of the most prominent leaders of the global innovation ecosystem.
Steve Chen has shared his insights as the creator of one of the most visited websites in the world, YouTube. During his talk, the YouTube co-founder shared experiences that not only transformed the way people share and view videos online but also made him one of the most notable entrepreneurs of the internet era.
The world of sports has also been represented at VDS. Juan Samaranch, the international vice president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, spoke alongside Luis Cervera, general director of Sport, about how Olympism can transform cities through its technological drive and the need for change.
On the other hand, the Prince of the Netherlands and special envoy of Techleap, Constantijn van Oranje, delivered a lecture titled “Harnessing the Power of Inclusion: How to Attract the Best Talent for Innovation.” During his talk, he addressed how diversity and inclusion have become key pillars for driving innovation in an increasingly global and competitive business environment.
As part of VDS, Startup Valencia and Innovation Quarter have signed a collaboration agreement to promote innovation, internationalization, and investment in their ecosystems. The agreement aims to strengthen their startup and entrepreneurial communities through joint programs, positioning Valencia and Zuid-Holland as international centers of innovation and magnets for talent and investment. Chris Van Voorden, head of Internationalization, and Nacho Mas and Krloos Rivera, CEO and Strategic Advisor of Startup Valencia, respectively, participated in the agreement signing.
Artificial intelligence as the main protagonist
This edition of VDS has focused on analyzing the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence and how this technology is transforming and positively impacting society. To this end, it has brought together world leaders in AI to provide answers to the needs generated by this technology that is revolutionizing the world in all aspects: development, integration, application, and investment.
One of the main talks on this topic that took place on the second day was ‘AI in new models of automated production: advantages and multicontent’ which highlighted the role of AI in the evolution of production systems towards more agile, personalized, and sustainable models, generating value for companies and consumers.
One of the main speakers at yesterday’s event was Randi Zuckerberg. The founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media and HUG spoke about the pros and cons of the widespread use of AI and offered a comprehensive guide on how to leverage AI tools to propel oneself and one’s company into the future.
Yesterday also saw the finale and award ceremony of Santander x Spain I Startup & Scaleup 2024, a competition that seeks to recognize and support emerging and expanding technology-based companies in Spain. The host of this event was Banco Santander, the main sponsor of VDS2024.
Also presented was the call for entries for the Emprende XXI Awards, driven by CaixaBank and ENISA, benchmark awards in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Audiovisual Stage hosted the Next-Gen Audiovisual Forum for these two days, an initiative aimed at positioning the Comunidad Valenciana brand as an international reference in audiovisual innovation. The forum offered attendees the opportunity to explore how OTT technology is revolutionizing content consumption, discover the impact of artificial intelligence and automation in video production and editing, among other topics.
Closing Ceremony
The Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain, Diana Morant, and the Government Delegate, Pilar Bernabé, will close the seventh edition of VDS2024. Alongside Nacho Mas, Juan Luis Hortelano, and Karina Virrueta, CEO, Chairman, and Head of the Innovative Ecosystem of Startup Valencia; Patricia Pastor, president of VDS, and Paula Llobet, councilor for Tourism and Innovation of the Valencia City Council, will also be present at the award ceremony of the VDS2024 International Startup Competition.
The Minister will attend to the media upon her arrival at 17:00 at the entrance of the Science Museum, at the door facing the Hemisfèric.
