The Barcelona Deep Tech Summit (BDTS), which took place on 5-7 November, brought together more than 70 speakers and 47 startups from the deep tech sector in the integrated venue within the Smart City Congress.

The startups participating in the deep tech event were characterized by their ability to tackle complex problems and provide disruptive solutions to the main challenges of today’s society. They do so in different fields of expertise: biomedicine, quantum, new materials, energy transition, sustainable construction, data sensing in space and robotics, among others.

Jordi Valls, deputy mayor of the Department of Economy, Finance and Economic Promotion of the Barcelona City Council, has highly valued the impact of the BDTS, both nationally and internationally:

“It is a source of pride for the city to have an event of the dimension of the Barcelona Deep Tech Summit, which drives the creation of a high value-added economy with a clear impact on people’s well-being. Deep tech also needs a ‘deep value’ at the service of society”.

Valls emphasized the fact that, in order to boost the deep tech ecosystem, it is essential to strengthen public-private partnerships, as well as to weave a wide network of Knowledge Transfer Offices to accelerate the availability of deep tech technology solutions for the society.

A steadily growing sector in Catalonia and Spain

The BDTS also presented the latest data showing the reality of the deep tech sector in both Catalonia and Spain.

According to the latest Deep Tech Startup Ecosystem Analysis presented by Acció, there are now 340 deep tech startups in Catalonia, 6% more than a year ago. The companies employ 2,735 people, 17% more than in 2022, and generate 166 million euros in revenue (an increase of 3%).

The analysis highlights that Barcelona is the first hub in Europe in funding raised by deep tech startups, with 544 million euros in the period 2019-2024, ahead of Copenhagen, Madrid or Amsterdam.

On the other hand, according to the report presented by the Mobile World Capital Barcelona The Deep Tech Spin-Offs Ecosystem in Spain, Spain already has 1,210 deep tech companies with a global turnover of 2,000 million and 12,200 skilled jobs. 55% of these companies are in Catalonia and Madrid.

Most spin-offs have been created in the health sector (35.6%); ICT and the digital environment (17%); industry and manufacturing (12.4%); and energy and sustainability (12.4%).

More about Barcelona Deep Tech Summit 2024

The third edition of the BDTS has been held for the first time within the framework of the Smart City Expo World Congress. The municipal projects presented at the Smart City Expo are part of the urban transformation of the city and set their sights on sustainability, decarbonization and the goal of zero emissions.

The BDTS is organized by the Barcelona City Council through Barcelona Activa, together with five Catalan universities (UB, UAB, UPC, UPF and UOC) and with the institutional support of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. New strategic partners have joined this year: Aldea Ventures, IESE Business School, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Mobile World Capital Barcelona and Tech Barcelona.

The startup AEInnova, a spin-off of the Department of Microelectronics at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, has been awarded Best Deep Tech Startup 2024 for its commitment to reducing the environmental impact of energy-intensive industries. AEInnova is considered a key EU innovator in autonomous IoT sensors. It has more than 30 international awards, some of them granted by the United Nations for its involvement in the fight against climate change.