News
29/09/2016
Barcelona, a Friendly Ecosystem for Start-Ups
Barcelona, a Friendly Ecosystem for Start-Ups
We recently spoke about how Barcelona ranks fifth in Europe in term of number of tech companies that have raised at least $1 million in 2016.
New data communicated this week by Catalunya Emprèn program director Pere Condom confirm how friendly is the ecosystem offered by the Catalan capital to innovating companies, especially start-ups: on the occasion of the opening of the Barcelona Startup Week second edition, Pere Condom explained that by the end of 2016, 2,000 start-ups will be registered in Catalonia, which corresponds to a global amount of about €500 million investment injections.
Besides, Catalan start-ups that will be absorbed this year by large corporations o will decide to be quoted on the stoke exchange will represent for the first time a € 1 billion global amount of capital (half of that amount corresponds to the sale of Privalia platform).
New data communicated this week by Catalunya Emprèn program director Pere Condom confirm how friendly is the ecosystem offered by the Catalan capital to innovating companies, especially start-ups: on the occasion of the opening of the Barcelona Startup Week second edition, Pere Condom explained that by the end of 2016, 2,000 start-ups will be registered in Catalonia, which corresponds to a global amount of about €500 million investment injections.
Besides, Catalan start-ups that will be absorbed this year by large corporations o will decide to be quoted on the stoke exchange will represent for the first time a € 1 billion global amount of capital (half of that amount corresponds to the sale of Privalia platform).
22/09/2016
Barcelona, capital of particle accelerators science and technology
Barcelona, capital of particle accelerators science and technology
Last week, the ALBA Synchrotron hosted two congresses that made Barcelona the world capital of particle accelerators science and technology for a few days: the fifth edition of IBIC (International Beam Instrumentation Conference) and the ninth edition of MEDSI (Mechanical Engineering Design of Synchrotron Radiation Equipment and Instrumentation).
More than 500 researchers and engineers participated, coming from all over the world, including the large international facilities, such as CERN (Switzerland), J-PARC (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex) or Argonne National Laboratory (USA), among many others.
The industrial participation at both events is very high, counting with the presence of more than 60 industrial exhibitors from companies specialised in scientific equipment and cutting-edge technology in areas such as cryogenics, vacuum, etc.
More than 500 researchers and engineers participated, coming from all over the world, including the large international facilities, such as CERN (Switzerland), J-PARC (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex) or Argonne National Laboratory (USA), among many others.
The industrial participation at both events is very high, counting with the presence of more than 60 industrial exhibitors from companies specialised in scientific equipment and cutting-edge technology in areas such as cryogenics, vacuum, etc.
15/09/2016
Tech Companies With More Than $1 Million Raised: Barcelona Ranks 5th In Europe
Tech Companies With More Than $1 Million Raised: Barcelona Ranks 5th In Europe
In order to get an overview of the European tech scene, Sirris, a non-profit Belgium organization that helps companies develop, test and effectively implement technological innovations, recently looked at all of the European tech companies that have raised at least $1 million in 2016. The data, which is comprised of more than 1,100 transactions from 30 countries, reveals 10 surprising insights according to Omar Mohout from Sirris.
According to the number of deals per city, London clearly ranks first (138 deals) followed by Paris (116) and Berlin (71) and Barcelona ranks 5th with 28 transactions. In the top 10, the only other southern European city is Milan (10th, 16 deals).
This leads Omar Mohout to one of his 10 surprises: it’s not always a capital city that’s at the epicenter of a scaleup ecosystem. Barcelona (Spain), Milan (Italy), Lausanne (Switzerland), Ghent (Belgium), Porto (Portugal), and Kracow (Poland) are the scaleup cities of their respective countries and the gap can be significant: Barcelona (28) vs. Madrid (8) or Milan (16 deals) vs. Rome (1 deal).
Image: xarxanet.org
According to the number of deals per city, London clearly ranks first (138 deals) followed by Paris (116) and Berlin (71) and Barcelona ranks 5th with 28 transactions. In the top 10, the only other southern European city is Milan (10th, 16 deals).
This leads Omar Mohout to one of his 10 surprises: it’s not always a capital city that’s at the epicenter of a scaleup ecosystem. Barcelona (Spain), Milan (Italy), Lausanne (Switzerland), Ghent (Belgium), Porto (Portugal), and Kracow (Poland) are the scaleup cities of their respective countries and the gap can be significant: Barcelona (28) vs. Madrid (8) or Milan (16 deals) vs. Rome (1 deal).
Image: xarxanet.org
09/09/2016
UB and UAB Universities Stand out in Spain According to Main International Rankings
UB and UAB Universities Stand out in Spain According to Main International Rankings
The thirteenth edition of the QS World Rankings places the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the Barcelona Synchrotron Park partner, in 203rd position among the over 916 universities examined worldwide, and in second position among Spanish universities, behind the Barcelona University (UB) (166).
The QS Rankings are based on four pillars: research, teaching, employability, and internationalization. They use six indicators: academic reputation, reputation amongst businesses, ratio of students per faculty, citations, internationalization of faculties and ratio of international students.
However, there are many rankings, each with its own parameters and methodology. In analyzing how UAB and UB universities rank in 2015 in Spain according to 8 main international rankings* (Enric Canela’s Blog, in Catalan), UB ranks first 7 times and third once and UAB ranks second 7 times and second once.
These repeated good results consolidate the reality of a Barcelona with well-trained people, an important element to attract researchers, innovating companies and investors.
*ARWU-Academic Ranking of World Universities; CWUR -Center for World University Rankings; QS‐World University Ranking; CWTS-Leiden impact ranking; THE-Times Higher Education supplement ranking; NTU-National Taiwan University Ranking; BGU‐USN -Best Global Universities; URAP-University Ranking by Academic Performance
The QS Rankings are based on four pillars: research, teaching, employability, and internationalization. They use six indicators: academic reputation, reputation amongst businesses, ratio of students per faculty, citations, internationalization of faculties and ratio of international students.
However, there are many rankings, each with its own parameters and methodology. In analyzing how UAB and UB universities rank in 2015 in Spain according to 8 main international rankings* (Enric Canela’s Blog, in Catalan), UB ranks first 7 times and third once and UAB ranks second 7 times and second once.
These repeated good results consolidate the reality of a Barcelona with well-trained people, an important element to attract researchers, innovating companies and investors.
*ARWU-Academic Ranking of World Universities; CWUR -Center for World University Rankings; QS‐World University Ranking; CWTS-Leiden impact ranking; THE-Times Higher Education supplement ranking; NTU-National Taiwan University Ranking; BGU‐USN -Best Global Universities; URAP-University Ranking by Academic Performance
31/08/2016
New CaixaBank's Data Center Implementation Completed In Barcelona Synchrotron Park
New CaixaBank's Data Center Implementation Completed In Barcelona Synchrotron Park
Barcelona Synchrotron Park (BSP) hosts the two Data Centers (DC) of CaixaBank, the 3rd Spanish bank in volume of assets: the first one operational since 2012 and the second one concluded in 2015 after a €100 million investment.
Last July, the ITnow company that operates these two DCs completed the transfer to the new DC. ITnow was created in 2012 by CaixaBank and IBM to make IBM the technology partner of the bank with a €2 billion service contract over the 2012-2022 period.
Within the framework of this cooperation, it’s worth mentioning that CaixaBank is the first bank in Spain to use the IBM Watson cognitive system and the first company in the world to train the system in Spanish. This pioneering cognitive technology understands natural language and can process information the way human beings do.
In addition to the two CaixaBank’s DCs, BSP also hosts an IBM’s DC (the unique IBM cloud computing center in Spain) and a T-Systems DC.
Due to its infrastructures and its location, BSP offers more than 70,000 m2 of land especially adapted to house DCs: top-level electric infrastructure (high capacity, high reliability, possibility of redundant power supply from cogeneration), top-quality telecommunications infrastructure (6 operators with own networks and different access points), clean ambient air and quite fresh and dry climate compatible with free-cooling technologies, minimal risks (flooding, earthquakes, fires, theft), minimal energy costs (outsourced cold production plants).
Last July, the ITnow company that operates these two DCs completed the transfer to the new DC. ITnow was created in 2012 by CaixaBank and IBM to make IBM the technology partner of the bank with a €2 billion service contract over the 2012-2022 period.
Within the framework of this cooperation, it’s worth mentioning that CaixaBank is the first bank in Spain to use the IBM Watson cognitive system and the first company in the world to train the system in Spanish. This pioneering cognitive technology understands natural language and can process information the way human beings do.
In addition to the two CaixaBank’s DCs, BSP also hosts an IBM’s DC (the unique IBM cloud computing center in Spain) and a T-Systems DC.
Due to its infrastructures and its location, BSP offers more than 70,000 m2 of land especially adapted to house DCs: top-level electric infrastructure (high capacity, high reliability, possibility of redundant power supply from cogeneration), top-quality telecommunications infrastructure (6 operators with own networks and different access points), clean ambient air and quite fresh and dry climate compatible with free-cooling technologies, minimal risks (flooding, earthquakes, fires, theft), minimal energy costs (outsourced cold production plants).
25/08/2016
Barcelona, 4th most creative city in the world
Barcelona, 4th most creative city in the world
One of the main conclusions that can be drawn from the second international Survey on the Barcelona City Brand published in late July (document in Spanish) is the creative potential of the city put forward by respondents.
In this sense, Barcelona ranks 4th as the most creative city in the world: this ranking confirms the good result obtained in the previous survey (2013) and highlights the very good international position of Barcelona just behind London, New York and Berlin, respectively, and ahead of cities such as Milan, Paris, Tokyo or Amsterdam.
Survey on the Barcelona City Brand is an initiative from the BCD Barcelona Design Centre whose mission is to promote design as a strategic element for business excellence and as a key factor for innovation, and as a discipline that can improve people's quality of life.
Image: BCD Barcelona Design Center headquarter
In this sense, Barcelona ranks 4th as the most creative city in the world: this ranking confirms the good result obtained in the previous survey (2013) and highlights the very good international position of Barcelona just behind London, New York and Berlin, respectively, and ahead of cities such as Milan, Paris, Tokyo or Amsterdam.
Survey on the Barcelona City Brand is an initiative from the BCD Barcelona Design Centre whose mission is to promote design as a strategic element for business excellence and as a key factor for innovation, and as a discipline that can improve people's quality of life.
Image: BCD Barcelona Design Center headquarter
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