What is the Alliance?
The Innovation Alliance of Sant Cugat del Vallès – Barcelona is a local action instrument that strengthens the city’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem, as well as its area of influence.
Through collaboration between the city council, the private sector, the academic sphere, and civil society, this agreement facilitates the creation of a dynamic and interconnected environment that fosters innovation, attracts investments and talent, and generates a positive impact on the quality of life and sustainable economic development in the region.
Why the Alliance?
Positioning Sant Cugat del Vallès as a reference city in innovation and entrepreneurship at both national and international levels will bring competitive advantages to the region:
- Economic growth driven by the creation of new companies and the arrival of new investments.
- Attraction of highly qualified talent and entrepreneurs with innovative ideas..
- Development of specialized infrastructures such as technology parks, research labs, and business centers.
- Transfer of knowledge and technology among ecosystem agents, promoting innovation and creating synergies that will benefit all parties.
- Improvement of the city’s international visibility, boosting its reputation and attracting international capital.
In short, these factors will strengthen Sant Cugat’s competitiveness and contribute to improving the quality of life for its residents.
Conversations to understand the present and future of innovation in Sant Cugat
BIVA Talks is a series of interviews that gives a voice to individuals actively involved in the Barcelona Innovation Valley Alliance (BIVA), who, through their respective professional fields, contribute to positioning Sant Cugat del Vallès as a hub for attracting and generating talent, innovation and economic activity.
As part of the Health Cities Days , the Health Cities project’s study visit under Interreg Europe, on 29 October the partners visited Roche Diagnostics headquarters in Sant Cugat, member of Sant Cugat is BIVA*
As part of the Health Cities Days study visit of the Health Cities project under the Interreg Europe programme, on 29 October project partners visited HP Sant Cugat.
contributions from Miquel Martií (Tech Barcelona) and David Pijoan Almaraz (Biocat, BioRegion of Catalonia), explored how these models can help address key challenges faced by startups: validation, regulation and scalability.
As part of the Health Cities Days, the first study visit of the Health Cities project under the Interreg Europe programme, the event highlighted the opportunities offered by digital and technological talent as a driver of competitiveness and growth.
As part of the Health Cities Days—the first study visit of the Health Cities project under the Interreg Europe programme—on 28 October the European partners visited the facilities of Boehringer Ingelheim, a member company of the Sant Cugat is BIVA* alliance, in Sant Cugat.
As part of the 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀, the first study visit of the Health Cities project within the Interreg Europe programme, on 27 October the European partners visited the ALBA Synchrotron, where experts from different institutions shared how scientific research and technology transfer are driving competitiveness in the biomedical field.
As part of the Health Cities Days—the first study visit of the Health Cities project, under the Interreg Europe programme—on 27 October we held a session at the Esade campus to address this key challenge, an activity organised within the framework of the Sant Cugat is BIVA*.
From 27 to 29 October, Sant Cugat welcomed the European partners of the Health Cities project
As part of the Health Cities Days , the Health Cities project’s study visit under Interreg Europe, on 29 October the partners visited Roche Diagnostics headquarters in Sant Cugat, member of Sant Cugat is BIVA*
As part of the Health Cities Days study visit of the Health Cities project under the Interreg Europe programme, on 29 October project partners visited HP Sant Cugat.
contributions from Miquel Martií (Tech Barcelona) and David Pijoan Almaraz (Biocat, BioRegion of Catalonia), explored how these models can help address key challenges faced by startups: validation, regulation and scalability.
As part of the Health Cities Days, the first study visit of the Health Cities project under the Interreg Europe programme, the event highlighted the opportunities offered by digital and technological talent as a driver of competitiveness and growth.
As part of the Health Cities Days—the first study visit of the Health Cities project under the Interreg Europe programme—on 28 October the European partners visited the facilities of Boehringer Ingelheim, a member company of the Sant Cugat is BIVA* alliance, in Sant Cugat.
As part of the 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀, the first study visit of the Health Cities project within the Interreg Europe programme, on 27 October the European partners visited the ALBA Synchrotron, where experts from different institutions shared how scientific research and technology transfer are driving competitiveness in the biomedical field.
As part of the Health Cities Days—the first study visit of the Health Cities project, under the Interreg Europe programme—on 27 October we held a session at the Esade campus to address this key challenge, an activity organised within the framework of the Sant Cugat is BIVA*.
From 27 to 29 October, Sant Cugat welcomed the European partners of the Health Cities project
Who promotes the Innovation Alliance
The alliance is made up of local and regional public bodies, global innovation centers from different sectors, business associations, and universities and technology and science centers in the region.
Founding members
Sant Cugat
Sant Cugat, with its strategic position near Barcelona, has become a vibrant center of economic activity, especially in the fields of technology, research, and development. It has all the key variables to be a very interesting geostrategic point for economic development.
Currently, the city has 97,579 inhabitants and generates more than 66,000 jobs, a figure higher than its active population, which stands at 46,692 people.
The local business ecosystem includes more than 3,000 companies, from startups to renowned multinationals, as well as a significant number of innovation and higher education centers.
Sant Cugat is the second Catalan city with the most startups, concentrating 3.4% of the total according to the latest study published by ACCIÓ.
With its seven business parks, Sant Cugat offers entrepreneurs and investors one of the best locations to develop their business projects in southern Europe.
The industrial land area in Sant Cugat, relative to urban land, is 46.8%. The municipality dedicates almost half of its land to productive activities.
Additionally, it has a powerful knowledge network in the region, with well-known entities such as the ALBA Synchrotron, the Eurecat technology center, the UAB Research Park, ESADE, or the High-Performance Sports Center (CAR) Sant Cugat.
In terms of infrastructure, Sant Cugat enjoys a strategic communication and transport network with Barcelona’s port and airport less than 30 km away, as well as connections to the provinces of Tarragona, Lleida, and Girona. It has a comprehensive public transport system that also connects the city with the rest of the region.
It also boasts a high-quality residential area and is a benchmark in green, efficient, and sustainable urban public spaces. In terms of education and knowledge, it has five specialized university centers located nearby.
All these factors make Sant Cugat an ideal place to live, work, and invest.