The Fundación Instituto Ricardo Valle de Innovation (Innova IRV) and the technology centre Eurecat will collaborate to promote the development of technological projects and the competitiveness of companies
The Eurecat-Innova IRV Joint Innovation Hub will be headquartered in Málaga TechPark
On 3 October, the Fundación Instituto Ricardo Valle de Innovation (Innova IRV) and the technology centre Eurecat announced the launch of their joint innovation hub as part of their strategic alliance, in which they will develop collaborative projects, promote technology transfer and create companies to foster new productive models.
The president of Innova IRV, Ezequiel Navarro, and the Corporate General Manager and COO of Eurecat, Xavier López, signed the agreement for the imminent implementation of their joint project at the conference centre Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga (FYCMA) on 3 October, happening the same day as the National Conference on Industry and SMEs.
Furthermore, the aim of this joint hub is to strengthen synergies between Innova IRV and Eurecat by developing collaborative projects for industry and by creating new investment opportunities in innovation. Eurecat will provide research and technological development services and Innova IRV will transform this knowledge into products with high economic value and great social impact.
Moreover, this collaboration represents a commitment to attracting investment and talent to Málaga, as Eurecat will open an office in Málaga TechPark, its first headquarters outside Catalonia and home to the Eurecat-Innova IRV Joint Innovation Hub.
Among the specific objectives of this agreement are: developing strategies and new business models for innovation; creating technological assets that contribute to the industrial resilience of the socio-economic fabric internationally; jointly defining and developing R&D and innovation projects that solve the main challenges identified by companies and, finally, accelerating the creation of ideas and bring them to market.
Ezequiel Navarro, president of Innova IRV, stated that “the joint innovation hub is a strategic alliance of great interest for companies that belong to the local and national innovation ecosystem. For us, Eurecat is a reference centre for technology on which we will rely for Innova IRV’s most important projects.”
In addition, Xavier López, Corporate General Manager and COO of Eurecat, claimed that “Eurecat, with this alliance, wants to participate in an ecosystem as dynamic as the one in Málaga, providing an added value to it and contributing to its development and connection with the ecosystems of other regions.”
INNOVA IRV
The Fundación Instituto Ricardo Valle de Innovación (Innova IRV) in Málaga is the first node of a national network of top-level business innovation clusters promoted by AMETIC.
This model, inspired by the German Fraunhofer Institute, is developed to boost competitiveness, to attract investment and to encourage the creation of tech-based companies.
It is promoted by Málaga City Council, the Junta de Andalucía (Andalusian regional government), through the Consejería de Universidades, Investigación e Innovación (regional Ministry of Universities, Research and Innovation), Miramar Group, Sando Foundation and Mayoral.
Innova is comprised of collaborating entities such as Accenture, Aeorum, Aertec, Agencia Digital de Andalucía (Digital Agency of Andalusia), Ametic, Bic Euronova, Dekra, Diputación de Málaga (Málaga Provincial Council), Endesa, Ericsson, Esesa, Famadesa, Google, Málaga TechPark, Orange, Premo, Simón, Tinámica, Top Digital, Trops, Tupl, University of Granada, University of Málaga, Unicaja, University of Seville, Vodafone and Telefónica.
EURECAT
Eurecat, a Technology Centre in Catalonia, has over 700 experienced professionals who generate a turnover of more than 55 million euros annually and provide services to 2,000 companies. Applied R&D, technological services, highly specialised training, technology consultancy and professional events are some of the services that Eurecat offers to large companies and SMEs of all sectors. It has offices in Barcelona, Canet de Mar, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Girona, Lleida, Manresa, Mataró, Reus, Tarragona, Amposta and Vila-seca; takes part in over 200 important national and international R&D&I projects of high strategic value and has 181 patents and 9 spin-offs. Eurecat provides added value, therefore accelerating innovation, reducing both risks and expenditure on scientific and technological infrastructures and transferring specialised knowledge to companies.