Valencia Digital Summit (VDS2023) is set to generate an economic impact of more than €10 million. The international tech event organised by Startup Valencia is expected to attract over 10,000 attendees from over 80 countries, as well as welcome more than 400 international investors boasting an investment portfolio exceeding €8 billion. With a lineup featuring internationally renowned speakers, the summit will serve as a platform for over 1,500 startups to connect and collaborate.
Juan Luis Hortelano, president of Startup Valencia, shared this exciting news during a press briefing for VDS2023, which was held earlier today at the Valencia Science Museum. Joining him at the event were notable figures, including Nuria Montes, Regional Minister for Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, from the Generalitat Valenciana; Juan Ramón Adsuara, Deputy for European Funds, Electronic Administration and Innovation, from the Valencia Provincial Council; and Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation, Employment and Entrepreneurship, from the Valencia City Council.
Hortelano also explained that the event, scheduled to take place on the 26th and 27th of October at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, promises to bring together inspiring individuals and key figures from prestigious companies. The roster of confirmed speakers includes Vala Afshar, CIO of Salesforce; Ángel Rivera, CEO of Banco Santander; Ángel Sáenz, Country Manager for Spain and Portugal at LinkedIn; Alejandro Mullor, Industry Digital Strategist at Microsoft; Guenia Gawendo, Director of Telefónica Ventures; Vladimer Botsvadze, Advisory Board Member of the United States Artificial Intelligence Institute; Ann Hiatt, who boasts over 15 years of experience in Silicon Valley as Executive Business Partner of Jeff Bezos (founder and CEO of Amazon) and Eric Schmidt (CEO/Executive Chairman of Google); Felipe Peñacoba, CIO of Revolut; and Alba Redondo, World Champion with the Spanish Women’s Football Team.
He also emphasised the importance of this event in solidifying Valencia’s status as a leading international hub for tech and innovation, and in attracting both investment and top-tier talent to the region. “We can take pride in the fact that startups participating in Valencia Digital Summit since 2018 have collectively secured over $11.5 billion in funding. Additionally, last year VDS generated an economic impact of over €10 million, and all indications suggest that this year’s edition will surpass that figure. Notably, for the first time, two side events will take place within the framework of VDS: Smart Mobility Valencia, in collaboration with the AVIA automotive cluster, and the most important logistics and port innovation forum in the sector, in partnership with Valenciaport. This development propels the event into a new dimension and firmly establishes it as one of the most significant tech events in southern Europe,” he stated.
Councillor for Innovation Nuria Montes added that the results of the report from the Startup Observatory of the Valencian Community, set to be unveiled at VDS, underline the “good health of our innovation ecosystem, which is experiencing steady growth in terms of both the number of startups, marking a 15% increase from the previous year, and the creation of high-quality jobs, with a total workforce of 16,396 individuals“.
During the event’s presentation, Provincial Deputy Juan Ramón Adsuara emphasised the significance of this gathering, stating, “This event represents a prime opportunity for the province of Valencia to establish itself as the perfect setting for attracting talent and developing innovative business models“. In this regard, Adsuara also called attention to “the ongoing commitment of the Provincial Council in supporting municipalities in their endeavours to implement tech-driven initiatives benefiting their citizens“. He cited specific examples such as “financial assistance for Smart City projects and the Connecta Valencia programme, which leverages smart markers to enhance tourist experiences“.
Councillor for Employment and Entrepreneurship Paula Llobet, for her part, highlighted the significance of Startup Valencia “as a benchmark for tech and innovation companies which, through the organisation of VDS, helps showcase our region’s talent, businesses, universities, and all those dedicated to driving economic and social transformation within our city“.
It is crucial to emphasise the remarkable scale of the Valencian tech and innovation ecosystem, which has seen exponential growth since 2017. According to data from the Startup Observatory of the Valencian Community, curated by Startup Valencia, Valencian startups have demonstrated a 15% growth rate and have contributed to the creation of 16,396 jobs.
