News

Collaboration between the Provincial Council and start-ups in GovTech Bizkaia

18 October 2022
Diputación y startups en GovTech Bizkaia

"Start-ups will be able to develop pilots that provide answers to the administration's major challenges"

TECNALIA Ventures participates as an agent of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the presentation of the GovTech Bizkaia initiative, launched by Bizkaia Provincial Council

Bizkaia Provincial Council launched the GovTech Bizkaia initiative at a presentation held on Thursday, 6th October. The aim is to foster collaboration between universities, technology centres, corporations, SMEs and digital start-ups to improve the services provided by the Provincial Council, and to promote its relationship with citizens and start-ups.

Training for start-ups and digital entrepreneurs

An open innovation lab (GovTechLAB) will be activated, where start-ups will be able to develop pilots in response to the administration's major challenges. On the other hand, an entrepreneurship hub (GovTechHUB) will be created to develop pilot projects and digital solutions with start-ups and entrepreneurs.

From this hub, 17 start-ups and digital entrepreneurs will be selected each year to receive training, mentoring and specialised advice on investment and business development.

Actors in the GovTech ecosystem

On 6th October, the initiative was launched in the auditorium of the recently inaugurated B Accelerator Tower BAT. Asier Rufino, CEO of TECNALIA Ventures, TECNALIA's deep tech venture builder, participated as a speaker in the "Agents of the GovTech ecosystem” panel, along with Garbiñe Henry, Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Deusto; Noemi Peña, Head of Entrepreneurship at the Bizkaia campus of the UPV and Aitor Lizartza, Head of Entrepreneurship at Mondragón Team Academy (MTA).

During the event, the GovTech initiative was presented by Elixabete Etxanobe, Provincial Councillor for Public Administrations and Institutional Relations and the GovTech Lab, and César Pol, Director General of Digitalisation and Citizen Services.

On the other hand, Carlos Santiso, Head of the Digital, Innovative and Open Government Division, was in charge of presenting the government's commitment to GovTech ecosystems. Finally, Ainara Basurko, Provincial Councillor for Economic Promotion, was in charge of concluding the event.