Catalonia concentrates almost a third of Spain's 1,200 deeptech spin-offs

Catalonia is the main incubation hub for deeptech spin-offs at the state level. In fact, almost a third of the 1,200 companies that emerged from universities and research centers focused on deep technologies nationwide have emerged in Catalonia, with 355 out of the total.

Thus, Catalonia leads the creation of these companies, which facilitate the transfer of knowledge generated in universities and research centers, focused on finding new disruptive solutions in the field of technology, engineering, and science. This is concluded by a report prepared by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) in collaboration with Deloitte, presented within the framework of the Smart City Expo.

The report, which analyzes the creation of spin-offs until 2023, concludes that Madrid is the second territory generating deeptech companies, with 319. Together with Catalonia, both regions concentrate 55% of these companies in Spain. Globally, these companies emerging from the research field invoice 2,000 million euros at the state level.

Precisely Catalonia and Madrid host the universities and research centers with the highest production of spin-offs. Leading the ranking is the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), which has created 98 companies focused on deeptech, followed by the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), with 96. The Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) ranks third, with 81 spin-offs created in this field.

Among the 30 centers and universities that have generated the most companies of this type are six Catalan ones. In seventh place in the ranking is the University of Barcelona (UB), with 28 deeptech spin-offs, while Hospital Clínic occupies the tenth position, with 23. The Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) occupies the thirteenth position, with 20, while the BSC and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) have generated 12 each.

Globally, Spanish deeptech spin-offs generate 12,000 qualified jobs. With an average turnover of 1.67 million euros per company, the sectors where most spin-offs have been created are health (35.6%); ICT and the digital environment (17%); industry and manufacturing (12.4%), and energy and sustainability (12.4%), as explained by the CEO of MWCapital, Francesc Fajula, and the head of the foundation's Tech Transfer area, Jordi Arrufí.

"To achieve a solid ecosystem, it is essential that both public and private institutions facilitate access to resources and incentives that drive the leap of these innovative technologies from the laboratory to the market," Fajula claimed, in an event in which the Deputy Mayor for Economy of the City Council, Jordi Valls, also participated, who defended promoting innovation through this type of initiative.

The report recommends increasing funding for spin-offs in the initial stages, expanding tax incentives, and unifying the regulatory framework.

To strengthen the ecosystem of spin-offs linked to deeptech and to promote technology transfer, the report recommends increasing funding in the initial stages; expanding tax incentives for companies and investors; unifying and harmonizing the regulatory framework, and promoting public-private collaboration. In addition, the report advocates for expanding technology acceleration programs and support for the creation of these companies, such as MWCapital's own The Collider program, which in the last eight years has contributed to creating 22 scientific-technological spin-offs and has supported 200 projects from all over Europe from Barcelona.