EIT Digital has today opened a node in Madrid to strengthen development of digital innovation in Spain. Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport and Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, Spanish Minister for Education, Culture, and Sport, attended the opening and welcomed the closer integration of the Spanish innovation ecosystem into the European market through the new EIT Digital Node.
EIT Digital officially announced today that Madrid has become a full Node as of January 1, 2017. The Madrid Node now has the same rights as the eight other European Nodes of EIT Digital (Berlin, Eindhoven, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Paris, Stockholm and Trento), which offers great opportunities for Spain in driving forward digital transformation across Europe.
EIT Digital has been present in Spain via its Madrid Associate Partner Group (APG) since 2013. Over four years from 2013-16, nearly €20 million was invested in Spain. Becoming a full Node enables a faster expansion of activities as is demonstrate by the fact that €15 million is being invested in 2017 alone in Spanish Innovation & Entrepreneurship as well as Entrepreuneurial Education activities.
Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport , stated: "Innovation brings global benefits, but it begins with people at local or regional level. By establishing this Node in Madrid, EIT Digital is creating new opportunities in the region, providing space where researchers, entrepreneurs and educators can learn from each other and produce innovative new products and services - and educating the next generation of young thought leaders."
Willem Jonker, CEO of EIT Digital, said: "I am very happy with the establishment of a full Node in Spain, which enables a significant increase of our innovation and entrepreneurial education activities in Spain."
About EIT Digital in Spain
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
To date, Spanish partners have been involved in 23 innovation activities. In addition, Spanish Partner Atos has been active in the development of an innovation and collaboration platform for the three-year High Impact Initiative "Operating European Digital Industry with Products and Services" that seeks to create new products and services for a competitive Digital Industry market in Europe and beyond.
Ten Spanish scaleups have joined EIT Digital's pan-European Accelerator to gain support in accessing new markets across Europe or accessing venture funding. Recently, EIT Digital-supported scaleup Coowry raised €1 million with support from EIT Digital’s Access to Finance team. Three Spanish scaleups - Exipple Studios, 3Ants & Galgus (AOIFES) - won the EIT Digital Challenge competition that was held the end of 2016.
Entrepreneurial Education
EIT Digital hosts four master programmes in Spain and also has a Doctoral Training Centre. Since 2013, 45 master students have enrolled in EIT Digital programmes in Madrid and 11 students are pursuing doctorates.
Spanish Partners
EIT Digital’s Spanish partners include Atos, the IMDEA Software Institute, Indra, Ferrovial, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Nokia-Spain and Telefonica.
