BDTS 2024
  • 10:30 - 11:20   Quantum Technologies. Who's At the Forefront?

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Quantum technology is probably the most exciting revolution coming our way. The first quantum computers have started to walk, and everything reminds to the 1950s with the very first computers. This has generated a brutal hype amongst academics, investors, and corporations. But, today, do we know who is really at the forefront? Who will win the race of the century?

    Presenter

    • Alina Hirschmann - Science Communication Head at ICFO, ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences

    Speakers

    • Alexandre Cooper-Roy - Research group leader in quantum technologies, Institute for Quantum Computing
    • Vanesa Diaz - CEO, LuxQuanta Technologies
    • Pol Forn-Díaz - Group Leader / CTO, IFAE - Institut de Física d'Altes Energies / Qilimanjaro
  • 11:20 - 11:50   Open Source & Responsible AI: Key for Future Growth

    Keynote

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Responsible AI has become a critical topic in the industry, especially as the needs and requirements from customers, industry and regulators ask for a safer, fairer, and more robust and transparent AI. In this topic, we will be reviewing what is the present and future of responsible AI, with an emphasis on technologies like generative AI. We will also anchor on open source as a key enabler for future growth of the industry ecosystem.

    Speakers

    • Cristian Canton - Engineering Leader, Head of Responsible AI, Meta
  • 11:50 - 12:40   Losing The Pace: AI Readiness Vs. Systemic Barriers Within the HealthTech Industry

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Artificial Intelligence, applied to the most relevant health challenges, can not only change the way research is conducted, but also generate real impact. However, a significant challenge remains: our healthcare systems are primarily structured around drug development (a domain where AI is making notable strides) rather than early detection. How can we break these barriers and ready our healthcare systems to prevent and early detect cancer and other fatal diseases?

    Presenter

    • Juan Baselga Iturzaeta - Partnerships and Institutional Relations Director, Tech Barcelona

    Speakers

    • Sara Toledano - Co-Founder & CEO, Sycai Medical
    • Jack Parker - Co-Founder & CEO, AIATELLA
    • Mercè Guerra Albà - Regulatory Affairs Manager, Alira Health
    • Josep Lluis Sanfeliu - Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Asabys Partners
  • 12:40 - 13:10   L’estat del Deep Tech a Catalunya

    Inspirational Talk

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Presentació dels resultats de l’Anàlisi de l’ecosistema d’startups deep tech a Catalunya

    Speakers

    • Inma Rodriguez - Market Intelligence Manager, ACCIÓ
  • 13:40 - 14:30   Inspiring Scientific Leaders: Strategies for Crafting International Deep Tech Organizations

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    How does society inspire the next generation of PhDs and scientists to engage with the deep tech industry through entrepreneurship? What kind of incentives can effectively stimulate interest in deep tech industries and the startup ecosystem? With insights from experts in global scouting and investment in spin-offs, the session aims to explore innovative strategies and effective practices for bridging the gap between scientific research and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

    Presenter

    • Carlos Trenchs Sainz de la Maza - Managing Partner, Aldea Ventures

    Speakers

    • Cristina Escoda - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Tachyon Ventures
    • Francesco Perticarari - General Partner, Silicon Roundabout Ventures
    • Devika Thapar - Co-founder and GP, Wilbe
  • 14:30 - 15:20   Beyond Earth: Navigating Entrepreneurship and Investment in Space Tech

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Space tech is at the core of deep tech verticals. The number of active satellites is growing exponentially, being multiplied by 8 in the last 10 years. The conquest of space requires more cost-efficient and more sustainable strategies, but the investment required continues to be at sky level. Who invests, how, and why, in this type of companies are some of the questions to be addressed in this session.

    Presenter

    • Daniel Sors Raurell - Head of Services and Industrial Promotion, Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)

    Speakers

    • Laura Anne Edwards - Datanaut, NASA Datanaut + Oxford Space Initiative
    • Adrià Argemí Samsó - Co-Founder & CEO, Pangea Aerospace
    • Clàudia Mateo Segura - Head of Space - Innovation & Business, Fundació i2CAT
  • 15:45 - 16:15   Opening Ceremony

    Ceremonies

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Speakers

    • Jordi Valls - Teniente de Alcaldía (Área de Economía, Hacienda, Promoción Económica y Turismo), Ayuntamiento de Barcelona
    • Daniel Crespo - Rector, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
    • Maria Galindo - Secretary for Digital Policy, Government of Catalonia
  • 16:15 - 17:05   From Academia to Industry, How Do We Address Deep Tech Transfer?

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Academia is still the mother of most technological advances, including deep tech. However, research in deep tech is typically costly, lengthy, and public research funding systems continue to struggle. Furthermore, academia has always had issues effectively transferring technologies, and this has been exacerbated by the inherent complexity in business models associated to deep tech. How can we fins our way?

    Presenter

    • Iva Tchetinova - Leader, Tech Tour & EIC Scaling Club

    Speakers

    • Ronja Stoffregen - Head of Global Startup Management & Co-Lead STARTup terminal, DB Schenker
    • Alejandro Martí Donati - CEO, Mitiga Solutions
    • Lorena Diéguez - Research Group Leader, International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory
    • Lurdes Jordi - Director -Valorisation and Licensing Unit, Fundació Bosch i Gimpera (University of Barcelona)
  • 17:05 - 17:55   Do's and Don'ts Every Deep Tech Startup Should Know

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    What can startups from diverse fields such as energy efficiency, data analysis, and advanced robotic solutions explain about their journey? With testimonies from three startup CEOs sharing challenges, turning points, and tips for future deep tech entrepreneurs, this session is designed to present insights into the characteristics and challenges of science-based startups and the resources available for this community.

    Presenter

    • Itziar Blasco Donoso - Director of Entrepreneurship, Barcelona Activa

    Speakers

    • David Comellas Vogel - Chief Executive Officer, AEInnova (Alternative Energy Innovations)
    • Carla Gómez Cano  - Co-founder, Theker Robotics
    • Josep Fanals i Batllori - CEO, eRoots Analytics
  • 10:00 - 10:30   Corporate Venturing Squads in Deep Tech: Volvo’s MobilityX Approach

    Interview

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Interview with Tommy Hansson, Volvo's Vice President for Innovation.

    Presenter

    • Josemaria Siota - Executive Director - Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, IESE Business School

    Speakers

    • Tommy Hansson Strand - VP Innovation Lab, Volvo Group Connected Solutions
  • 10:30 - 11:20   Empowering Women in Deep Tech

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Navigating the business world as a woman, particularly within the tech industry, can present a unique set of challenges, from contending with stereotypes to encountering limited advancement opportunities, gender biases, and unsupportive work cultures, whether in established corporations or small start-ups. Given the pivotal role of the tech sector in shaping our collective future, fostering an inclusive environment is crucial.

    Presenter

    • Ronja Stoffregen - Head of Global Startup Management & Co-Lead STARTup terminal, DB Schenker

    Speakers

    • Marjolein Helder - CEO, Plant-e
    • Núria Amigó Grau - CEO, Biosfer Teslab
    • Mireia Riera Serdà - Chemical Engineer SDR, Keybotic
    • Jordi Martorell - CEO & Co-founder, Aortyx
  • 11:40 - 12:30   ''Sorry We Are Open'': How to Bring Open Source Llms From the Lab to the Market and not Die Trying?

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    The rise of generative AI and LLMs presents great opportunities, but also presents strong ethical and business debates. Why are open source LLMs and open licenses the way forward? What are viable business models around open systems? How to bring open source LLMs from the lab to the market and not die trying?

    Presenter

    • Mariona Sanz Ausàs - Head of Innovation and Business Development, BSC

    Speakers

    • Toni Lorente - Senior Associate, AI Governance, The Future Society
    • Luca Cominassi - Lawyer Founder, Cominassi-Valenti Law firm
  • 12:30 - 13:20   European Technological Sovereignty and Strategic Autonomy

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    How do deep tech innovations in fields such as health, technology and space contribute to European digital sovereignty? Where does Europe stand in the new geopolitical Scenario? The session aims to explore Europe's current position in the development and advancement of deep tech technologies, identifying key challenges and opportunities to strengthen sovereignty and strategic autonomy in the global geopolitical context.

    Presenter

    • Miquel Rodriguez Planas - Manager of Economic Promotion, Ajuntament de Barcelona

    Speakers

    • Maria Roser Roca Toha - Managing Director & CEO, Airbus GeoTech
    • Sven De Cleyn - Program Director at imec.istart & Managing Director at imec.istart Fund, imec
    • Pilar Pasaron - Directora de Government Affairs, AstraZeneca
    • Francesc Guim - CEO, Openchip & Software Technologies
  • 13:50 - 14:40   Climate and Decarbonization’s Deep Tech: What Lies Ahead?

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Deep tech should play a key role in (partially) solving one of the major challenges of the 21st century: climate change. Novel technologies promise sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, more efficient transportation, better energy distribution, etc. But, what’s a reality today, what’s coming, and what should not be expected? From discussing funding for upcoming innovations to analyzing realistic expectations for their impact on climate change solutions, the session will bring the state of cutting-edge deep tech technologies for climate and decarbonization.

    Presenter

    • Sevim Aktas - Content Creator / Policy Officer , EU Green Deal Brief / European Commission

    Speakers

    • Leon Rizzi - CEO, Jolt
    • Fernando Casado - Co-Founder & General Partner, Inclimo Climate Tech Fund
    • Mario Ruiz Mateo - Climate Action Manager, Aigües de Barcelona
  • 14:40 - 15:10   Corporate Venturing – old and new models of CVC – a firechat with Xin Ma

    Interview

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Corporates are active in this field. Their investment in deep-tech startups has recently grown 3.6 times. This allows companies to quickly gain expertise in cutting-edge technologies and pursue disruptive innovations. However, it comes with hurdles. Deep-tech startups are usually associated with a long time-to-market as well as inherent technological risks and costs. Moreover, nearly 70% of corporate-startup innovations fail, according to IESE Business School data. What sets the successful 30% apart? The session aims to shed some light on the main challenges, opportunities, and trends in deep-tech corporate venturing.

    Presenter

    • Mª Julia Prats - Academic Director Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, IESE Business School

    Speakers

    • Xin Ma - Managing Director, Capagro
  • 15:50 - 16:20   State of AI Report 2024

    Keynote

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    The State of AI Report analyses the most interesting developments in AI across research, industry, politics, and safety. We aim to trigger an informed conversation about the state of AI and its implication for the future.

    Presenter

    • Gonzalo Rodés - Managing Partner, Aldea Ventures

    Speakers

    • Nathan Benaich - Air Street Capital, Founder and General Partner
  • 16:20 - 17:10   Specialized Micro VC Leading Deep Tech Deals in Health. How Do We Get The Right Match?

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Health tech is a crucial vertical within deep tech. Advances in AI and other technologies have drawn considerable attention from investors due to its potential for faster market entry compared to traditional pharmaceuticals and MedTech. However, the sector is also marked by significant uncertainty, and the potential returns are less and less obvious. The challenge to be addressed in health tech funds is: What is the new generation of investors looking for? How and why are specialized Micro VCs leading Deep Tech deals in health?

    Presenter

    • Gabrielle Cummins - Principal, Aldea Ventures

    Speakers

    • Alexandre Barbosa - Managing Partner, Faber
    • Yahel Halamish - Principal, Nina Capital
    • Lomax Ward - General Partner, Outsized Ventures
  • 17:10 - 18:00   Medical Devices Innovations: The European Commission’s Key Role in Driving the Boom

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    The European medical device industry is booming, with significant support from the European Commission and the European Innovation Council. Initiatives like the Tech2Market program are driving innovation, transforming healthcare, and enhancing patient outcomes. This growth showcases the effective collaboration between regulatory bodies, research institutions, and industry leaders, fostering the development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies across Europe’s healthcare systems. This session will explore the rise of medical device innovations supported by the European Commission.

    Presenter

    • Enric Claverol - Advisor Medtech Startups, Former EIC Programme Manager Medical Technologies and Medical Devices

    Speakers

    • Laura Becerra-Fajardo - Postdoctoral Researcher, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
    • Susana Amorós G.Valdecasas - CTO & Co-founder, NIMBLE Diagnostics
    • Núria Amigó Grau - CEO, Biosfer Teslab
    • Markus Wilhelms - CEO & Co-Founder, MOWOOT
  • 10:00 - 10:30   Shaping Tomorrow’s World - The AI and GenAI Engines Behind Smart Cities

    Keynote

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Nvidia's deep tech innovations, particularly in AI, accelerated computing, and digital twin technology, are pivotal in creating cities of the future. Their full stack hardware and software platforms enable real-time processing, environment monitoring, and predictive modelling, powering various smart city applications from traffic management to energy efficiency and public safety. The session will focus on how Nvidia, through collaboration with cities, research institutions, startups, and tech partners, provides scalable AI solutions that enhance urban infrastructure, integrate IoT data, and support responsive, proactive, and resilient cities.

    Speakers

    • Charbel Aoun - Smart City & Spaces Director - EMEA, Nvidia
  • 10:30 - 11:20   Democratizing Deep Tech: How Do We Leave No One Behind?

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    The adoption of novel technologies but especially deep tech is creating novel forms of social inequality, at local and global levels. This is especially true in countries that can adopt and pay for deep tech versus those who cannot afford it, but also in these countries that can adopt it, there are age and social barriers that complicate its daily use. Who are we developing deep tech for? How can we balance and democratize the use of such powerful tools?

    Presenter

    • Lorenzo Di Pietro - General Manager, Barcelona Activa

    Speakers

    • Jeff Merrit - Head of Urban Transformation, World Economic Forum
    • Ayona Datta - Professor in Human Geography, UCL London
    • Didier Nkurikiyimfura - Chief Growth & Strategy Officer, Smart Africa
  • 11:30 - 12:00   Quantum Computing: Driving a New Technological Era from Barcelona

    Interview

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Interview with Marta Estarellas, CEO, Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech

    Presenter

    • Ruth Gumbau - Journalist, 3Cat

    Speakers

    • Marta P. Estarellas - CEO, Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech
  • 12:00 - 12:30   National Spin-offs Deep Tech Report presentation: 'El Ecosistema de Spin-Offs Deep Tech en España

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Mobile World Capital Barcelona will present the report “The Deep Tech Spin-Off Ecosystem in Spain“. The report examines the deep tech spin-offs originating from the Spanish academic environment, highlighting the need to strengthen the connection between academia and the business sector to boost the economic and social development of the country.

    Speakers

    • Francesc Fajula de Quintana - CEO, Mobile World Capital Barcelona
    • Jordi Arrufí - Director de Desarrollo Corporativo y responsable del área de Tech Transfer, Mobile World Capital Barcelona
    • Jordi Valls - Teniente de Alcaldía (Área de Economía, Hacienda, Promoción Económica y Turismo), Ayuntamiento de Barcelona
  • 12:30 - 13:20   Pioneers of Change: Venturing in Industry 4.0, Energy Solutions, and Sustainability

    Plenary session

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Industry 4.0, energy and sustainability are typically entangled and interconnected when it comes to deep tech. The web is crowded with startups with the mission of delivering a better world, more sustainable, more inclusive, etc… Is this true? At what cost? How do we differentiate deep tech companies with true purpose? Are these business models investable? The focus of the session will be on uncovering the challenges and potential in entrepreneurship and investment related to Industry 4.0, energy, and sustainability.

    Presenter

    • Francisco Badia - Managing Partner, Grow Venture Partners

    Speakers

    • Mireia Riera Serdà - Chemical Engineer SDR, Keybotic
    • Marjolein Helder - CEO, Plant-e
    • Natalia Ruiz Saez - Managing Partner, Net Zero Ventures
  • 13:30 - 13:50   Barcelona Deep Tech Summit Awards & Closing Ceremony

    Ceremonies

    Auditorium Barcelona Deep Tech Summit

    Get to know three prominent Deep Tech startups that will have the opportunity to showcase their innovations.

    An expert jury will determine the best one of 2024. The start-up finalists are:

    - Alternative Energy Innovations

    - MiWendo Solutions

    - Roka Furadada