- On Wednesday afternoon, the Sant Cugat City Council, Sant Cugat Empresarial and 30 other organizations, including companies and academic, technological and research institutions, signed an agreement to launch this strategic alliance.
- The objective is to promote an interconnected ecosystem that will make the city of Sant Cugat a national and international benchmark for innovation and entrepreneurship.
- The strategic partnership includes multinationals, such as Eurofragance, HP, Boehringer Ingelheim, GFT, Roche and Fluidra; institutions, such as ACCIÓ and Mobile World Capital Barcelona; six university centers; and the ALBA Synchrotron.
Barcelona, 19 September 2024 – Sant Cugat has firmly committed itself to innovation. This city-wide commitment was made official with the signing of an agreement to launch the Barcelona Innovation Valley Alliance (BIVA), an initiative backed by the Sant Cugat City Council, the Sant Cugat Empresarial business association and 30 other organizations, including companies and academic, technological and research institutions.
The founding of the Alliance marks the beginning of a new era of collaboration between the public sector, businesses and institutions, aimed at making Sant Cugat a national and international benchmark for innovation and entrepreneurship.
In the words of Josep Maria Vallès, Mayor of Sant Cugat: “Our goals are to create an interconnected ecosystem that will encourage innovation, nurture talent and attract new investment, and to have a positive impact on the quality of life and economic and sustainable development of the city.”
Among those supporting the Alliance are leading multinationals, such as Eurofragance, Hewlett Packard, Boehringer Ingelheim, GFT, Roche and Fluidra; six university centers (the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Esade, the Vallès School of Architecture, the Universitat Internacional de Cataunya, Escuelas Universitarias Gimbernat and La Salle); the ALBA Synchrotron; and various institutions, including ACCIÓ (the Government of Catalonia’s Agency for Business Competitiveness) and the Mobile World Capital Barcelona foundation.
The signing ceremony was held in Sant Cugat City Council’s plenary hall and led by a virtual presenter created by the technology company GFT. It featured speeches from Josep Maria Vallès, the city’s Mayor; Albert Salarich, the Councilor responsible for Business, Innovation and Internationalization; Eduard Torres, the President of Sant Cugat Empresarial; and Josep Miquel Piqué, Ramon Llull University’s Doctor in Innovation Ecosystems. The Alliance’s 32 founding members signed the agreement using a technological system, also provided by GFT, that made it possible to follow the process in real time.
Sant Cugat is BIVA
At the event, Albert Salarich described the circumstances surrounding and the steps leading up to the Alliance’s creation. He also spoke about the next stages in the implementation of the agreement and the first activities to be undertaken, one of which is submitting a bid for the European Commission to recognize Sant Cugat as a European City of Innovation.
It was also at the ceremony that the name and the slogan “Sant Cugat is BIVA,” a play on words in Catalan that refers to the city being alive with the acronym of the Barcelona Innovation Valley Alliance, were officially presented. The project’s website, biva.cat, is already up and running, and further content will be added to it in the near future.
Support from the business world and academic, technological and research institutions
Founding members of the Alliance were keen to offer their views on the agreement. Santiago Sabatés, Chairman of Eurofragance, said: “We are very proud to be part of BIVA, a project that places great importance on companies working together to drive Sant Cugat forward. At Eurofragance, we firmly believe that innovation is crucial to meeting the challenges of the future, and this initiative is a positive contribution to our territory’s progress.”
Boehringer Ingelheim’s Corporate Affairs Director, Denise Oliveira Quintiliano, stated: “As a company committed to sustainable innovation, at Boehringer Ingelheim we are proud to be part of this strategic partnership.”
Meanwhile, Ramon Pastor, the Global Head and General Manager at HP, remarked: “This agreement represents an opportunity to promote Sant Cugat as a European benchmark in innovation. Collaboration between companies, universities and the City Council will strengthen our ecosystem, attracting talent and generating sustainable economic growth.”
Turning to the academic arena, Francisco Javier Lafuente, Rector of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, said: “Being part of this partnership, with the common goal of making our territory an international hub of innovation, is a great opportunity.”
And the Director of the ALBA Synchrotron, Caterina Biscari, highlighted that the Alliance’s synergy would “foster knowledge transfer, attract talent and speed up research, positioning Sant Cugat, nationally and internationally, as a focal point for technological progress and sustainable growth.”
BIVA and Sant Cugat’s Strategic Plan for entrepreneurship and innovation
BIVA is one of the initiatives encompassed by Sant Cugat’s Strategic Plan for its new entrepreneurship and innovation system. Covering the period spanning 2024 and 2027, the Strategic Plan was approved at a municipal plenary session in June 2024.
The aim is to jointly promote and act as a driving force behind measures and strategies designed to encourage the development of talent, foster innovative entrepreneurship, facilitate knowledge transfer, cultivate the innovation ecosystem and showcase Sant Cugat internationally.
Eurofragance regards participation in initiatives like BIVA as fundamental to reinforcing its commitment to technological development and sustainability. Such collaboration enables the company not only to advance in creating innovative scents, but also contributes to uncovering solutions that have a positive impact on society and the environment. Furthermore, involvement in strategic projects with other companies and research centers boosts Eurofragance’s capacity for innovation, consolidating the fragrance house’s status as a leader in its sector.
