{"id":3119,"date":"2025-06-22T10:59:50","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T08:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biva.cat\/european-capital-of-innovation"},"modified":"2025-07-01T13:26:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T11:26:31","slug":"european-capital-of-innovation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/biva.cat\/en\/european-capital-of-innovation","title":{"rendered":"European Capital of Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Candidate for European Rising Innovative City 2026<\/h2><\/div>
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Discover why Sant Cugat stands out as an exemplary candidate for the European Rising Innovative City.<\/p>\n

Sant Cugat has submitted its candidacy for the European Rising Innovative City 2026 awards, promoted by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme for Research and Innovation.<\/p>\n

These awards recognise medium-sized cities \u2014 with a population between 50,000 and 249,999 inhabitants \u2014 that lead innovation through transformative public policies, the promotion of entrepreneurship, and the adoption of technological advances that improve citizens\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n

With a population of around 100,000 inhabitants and a strong commitment to innovation, Sant Cugat positions itself as a solid and ambitious candidate for the European Rising Innovative City 2026 category.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Pillars of Innovation in Sant Cugat<\/h2><\/div>
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The six key areas that position Sant Cugat as a European reference in innovation.<\/p>\n

Candidate cities are evaluated based on their ability to experiment, scale innovative initiatives, build collaborative ecosystems, share best practices, deploy a transformative vision, and uphold citizens\u2019 rights through innovation.<\/p>\n

These six pillars are outlined below, contextualized within Sant Cugat\u2019s innovation landscape.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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1- Experimenting<\/h4><\/div>

Sant Cugat del Vall\u00e8s has established itself as a living lab city, where innovative solutions are tested at an urban scale. Since 2011, it has operated as an urban sandbox with a vibrant ecosystem made up of citizens, businesses, universities, and public administration.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

2- Scaling<\/h4><\/div>

Sant Cugat drives scalability as a strategic pillar of local development: promoting startups, attracting talent, securing investment, and creating a regulatory environment favorable to innovation and sustainable growth.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

3- Ecosystem Building<\/h4><\/div>

Sant Cugat has created a strong and inclusive innovation ecosystem where the administration, businesses, universities, and citizens actively collaborate. BIVA (Barcelona Innovation Valley Alliance)<\/a>, its pioneering alliance, connects talent and technology to generate solutions with an impact on health, sustainability, and quality of life. Through structures such as the Innovation Council and the BIVA HUB, projects are coordinated that position the city as a European reference.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

4- Expansion<\/h4><\/div>

Sant Cugat drives an open innovation strategy that connects the city with other municipalities, regions, and international ecosystems. It participates in European initiatives and also establishes collaborations with actors outside the European Union, extending its model on a global scale.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

5-\u00a0Innovative City Vision<\/h4><\/div>

Sant Cugat promotes a city model based on innovation as a tool for urban transformation and citizen well-being. This vision is structured through the Strategic Innovation and Entrepreneurship Plan and the BIVA alliance, focusing on sustainability, digitalization, social inclusion, and shared governance.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

6- Citizens\u2019 Rights<\/h4><\/div>

In Sant Cugat, innovation is not only a driver of technological progress but also a means to uphold rights, promote equality, and strengthen social cohesion. The city is committed to an open, inclusive, and digital democracy where diversity is embraced as a value and participation is upheld as an active right.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Projects<\/h2><\/div>

Explore some of the projects that Sant Cugat has developed in recent years to respond innovatively to the city’s needs and challenges.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>