Entrepreneurship is something I have always experienced at home: both of my grandfathers were entrepreneurs. I was always fascinated by their dedication and passion for taking on professional challenges. My generation has been directly impacted by technology, especially since the launch of the first smartphone, which was a game changer.

My generation has been directly impacted by technology, especially since the launch of the first smartphone, which was a game changer

In my case, what most interested me about the tech sector, more than the technological dimension itself, was its ability to democratize innovation and, thus, facilitate the creation of companies with high growth potential but few resources.

I think universities are a very good place; they are an ideal setting for entrepreneurship and innovation for several reasons. For one thing, they are home to a lot of very diverse talent, and diversity is a vital factor. They have diversity in terms of gender, origin, skills, etc. This talent, combined with all the academic knowledge, is a key ingredient in the innovation process. It is often assumed that the business and corporate worlds have a lot of talent and a lot of knowledge, but that is not always true. So, I think that is a very important added value of universities.

That is also why I think universities are a fundamental pillar in the innovation ecosystem. Various actors play this role: governments, large companies, start-ups, investment funds, but also universities. Universities have a critical responsibility to transfer knowledge and talent to the business world in order truly to build a solid ecosystem.

It is incredibly important, not only because of UPF’s role helping participating start-ups to connect with each other and accelerate their projects, but also because it narrows the gap between the university and the innovation ecosystem. It is very important for academia to be close to the technology and business sector. There are many synergies between the two worlds.

Universities play an essential role in the innovation ecosystem, not only for their role in generating talent, but also in knowledge transfer processes and the early stages of projects. It is fundamental for the concentration of knowledge that exists in the university world to be transferred to the business and entrepreneurship sector.

Universities play an essential role in the innovation ecosystem

Barcelona already is a top-tier technology hub. We have had numerous success stories in recent years that are generating confidence in the sector, and public institutions are also doing a good job promoting the city. More and more international start-ups are also opening offices in Barcelona. 

It is essential for entrepreneurs to be connected to the world and an international network

The combination of good universities, success stories, international talent and global events is an important factor for this consolidation. It is essential for entrepreneurs to be connected to the world and an international network. So Barcelona has to continue working to build this space and have a global vision.

The technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem do not exist outside of the global economy. Any economic crisis will have a direct effect, especially on start-ups’ financing capacity.

However, if we take the energy market as an example, what we are seeing is an industry undergoing rapid change, both in geopolitical terms and with regard to the need to solve environmental issues. This evolution and change also generate a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs in sectors such as the green and circular economies or mobility, for example.

Any economic crisis will have a direct effect, especially on start-ups’ financing capacity

It was an absolute success. 4YFN once again became the centre of the global technology ecosystem, with a very strong international presence. 4YFN’s consolidation within the MWC has been a success, as entrepreneurs can interact much more easily with the senior executives from MWC and, thus, build relationships with large international companies and funds.

Success depends on a lot of factors. The most important one is the product, which has to provide a solution to a real market problem. Building a good team, the company’s growth rate and launching your product at the right time are also key. Social awareness is essential today, especially to attract talent.

Social awareness is essential today, especially to attract talent

In the past, a lot of people wanted to work at companies with very high market values, the famous ‘unicorns’. Today, talent increasingly wants to work at companies that have an impact on a lot of people or are trying to solve major social challenges.

I think digital transformation and connectivity are impacting all sectors. Basically, the pandemic has accelerated a lot of digitization processes. Two sectors have been particularly heavily impacted, education and healthcare, which had to digitize a lot of their processes virtually overnight. In education, classes had to go virtual; in healthcare, patients had to be seen remotely. So, these are sectors with a lot of changes, but, at the same time, a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs.

We are seeing very strong growth, including numerous start-up projects, for example, in e-learning, education, telemedicine, personalized medicine, etc. And investment funds are funnelling a lot of resources into these two sectors, so we do expect to continue to see very significant growth.

They are, although not as quickly as we would like, but we are on the right track. The ecosystem has to make an effort, with the support of the public system, to be much more inclusive. Diversity is essential. We need a more diverse ecosystem, but, especially, for everyone, no matter where they come from, to be able to start a business, and today that is not the case. Public institutions have to help mitigate the risk of failure with financial support.

The ecosystem has to make an effort, with the support of the public system, to be much more inclusive

The most important thing is to get your product, an MVP [minimum viable product], on the market as soon as possible. It is essential to see how the market responds quickly, because often our prior assumptions are wrong. As we get real feedback, we need to start improving the product.

Not (not only tech) is a publication that aims to discover previously unknown facets and views of prominent figures in the tech sector, entrepreneurs who are leading exciting projects, as well as to cover subjects that go beyond tech. Technology is a fundamental tool for society, and it is essential to discuss its impact and purpose, especially at such a momentous time of change and opportunity as today.