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.
Last November 15th, the Fàbrica Damm in Barcelona was the venue for Welcome IT Day, an event organized by Mobile World Capital Barcelona with the support of the Barcelona City Council.
The BIVA is working on future city projects and positioning Sant Cugat as a European city of innovation.
Ajuntament, Sant Cugat Empresarial i una trentena d’empreses i institucions acadèmiques, tecnològiques i de recerca han signat aquesta tarda un acord per posar en marxa aquesta aliança estratègica
A workday with the founding members where the assets and activities of the region were identified to co-create the Alliance’s mission, vision, and values. Likewise, the main challenges of the pact were determined.
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.