The opportunity of the Free Trade Zone with Incubazul as a national benchmark for support to entrepreneurs dedicated to innovating in the vertical of the blue economy
Called Bluetrepreneurs and by this we mean the entrepreneurs who develop ideas in the blue economy. That is: in fishing, in aquaculture, in salt flats, in maritime transport or in coastal tourism.
There are many, more and more. And they are sensitive to the SDGs, the sea/ocean and, above all, to help build a better world with their undertakings. We often find them in coastal cities, on the coast. There they live and experiment with real solutions to problems suffered by all the people who work, love or enjoy the sea. Concerned, proactive, original, committed, such are the men and women who see the blue economy as the destination of their efforts.
Spain is surrounded by water. It has more than 7,600 km of coastline and important cities bathed by the Mediterranean (Barcelona, Malaga, Valencia...) or the Atlantic (Cádiz, Huelva, Vigo, Santander, San Sebastián...). Doing a sweep through our country we find "blue" initiatives led by different actors who have built a value proposition to seduce these entrepreneurs. The map of these initiatives is specified in (although it seems that the pandemic has slowed down their activities): Iveaempa in Barcelona; Fishing Tech in Vigo; Logistics Tech; o Protoatlantic (The Gran Canarian palms).
Perhaps it would be convenient to carry out this search by extending it to our neighbor Portugal, where they are clear that they can play an important role in accelerating projects aimed at the blue economy. So in Lisbon Blueviovalue O Bluetechaccelerator They have been pioneers in promoting this industry for years.
Is there room for new initiatives?
Yes. The province of Cádiz has been positioning itself for many years as the epicenter of the economy with the leadership of the Cadiz University (satin, Innovazul, SpinAzul…) and other entities that have also seen it clearly (CEEI Bahía de Cádiz, Maritime Cluster, Diputación de Cádiz…). It makes sense and is the perfect location for all researchers, teachers, students and professionals working in sectors related to the blue economy to join forces and align strategies to place Cádiz at the forefront of blue innovation.
In this sense, the bet of the Free Zone is justified and comes to complete the existing offer thanks to the initiative IncubAzul. Counting on the know-how of Telefónica, the Free Trade Zone has designed a complete range of services to reinforce the role of the city in leading blue entrepreneurship. Free Zone has an accelerator, a support program for entrepreneurs, a complete agenda of events to boost the ecosystem of the province, a hands-on training program open to the public to teach from the hand of experts on topics as current as aquaculture, coastal tourism, entrepreneurship or new renewable energies related to the sea.
Enough?
More than enough, necessary. An attractive, personalized value proposition that adds services so that the projects are more international and can be in the focus of investors interested in the blue economy. An initiative with a local flavor in terms of professionals chosen to mentor. A commitment to open innovation where all the players in this industry are invited to participate, to propose challenges, to share their innovative concerns. A success led by the Cádiz Free Trade Zone, which has European funding to carry out this initiative.
Cádiz is bluer, it is more fashionable. It is the southernmost province of continental Europe that has recovered the greatness of yesteryear with a determined commitment to an economy that is intrinsically linked to the natural environment that surrounds it. IncubAzul It is an opportunity that has come to stay and that will generate employment, companies, innovation and great attraction for those who want to be a bluetrepreneur of success.
This High Technology Incubator project for the promotion and encouragement of innovation and technology transfer to micro-SMEs in the Blue Economy sector In Andalucia “[BlueEcoIncuba x Lo
Nacho Morales Conde, Strategy and Open Innovation Consultant at Telefónica.
